Dead To Emotion, Alive To Vengeance
by Darkest Nightmare's Dread
Summary: Full summary inside. Fiction T for character death in flashback and violence. I don't own Transformers Prime, but I own my OCs.
1. Target Acquired

**He wandered the galaxy in search of the ones who murdered his beloved ones. No one knew what went on behind that implacable face. Indeed, none could, for those who saw him often did not survive to tell the tale. Who is he? What happened to him? What will he become? This is the story of a shattered spark, the face concealing deep hurt, and a female who would attempt to uncover the deepest, darkest secret this wanderer bears. This is the story of Ninjusk Noir, expert assassin.**

**-Target Acquired-**

**Somewhere outside the Solar System**

(Too long,) he whispered in his mind. (Far too long have I searched.) He had abandoned Cybertron long before the planet had breathed its last. During his wandering through the galaxy, he had heard that while Cybertron had died, Megatron had survived, and had retreated into the vast reaches of space.

(I promise you, Megatron. By the Primes, I'll find you. So says I, Ninjusk Noir.)

His introspection was interrupted by a loud *beep* from the console of his craft. The sensors had picked up a large number of Decepticon signals, and a disappointingly smaller number of Autobot signals. "8 Autobot signals," Ninjusk murmured. "Well, let's see who they are." Tapping a series of codes on a holographic keyboard, Ninjusk looked at the signatures he picked up. "There's Optimus Prime. Great. Ultra Magnus. He's real fun at parties," he muttered sarcastically. "Good thing I never went to parties." He looked at the remaining signatures: Bulkhead and Wheeljack, both Wreckers. He also recognized Arcee from when he briefly assisted her in swiping some Energon from the Decepticons. The other signatures were listed as: Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Smokescreen, Autobots he did not recognize. "Hmm. Their signals are Autobot signals, but still, I've seen too many Autobots turn traitor to trust just anyone." He looked over the weapons he had: a sniper rifle that could break into a series of knives, knives that were easily concealed, and various poisoned blades, which glowed a faint green with Tox-en. The Toxic Energon wasn't strong enough to kill by exposure, but the knives coated with it made excellent tools for quick assassination. Looking over his ship's monitor, he changed the scan setting to identify high-ranking Decepticons. He quickly picked up Megatron's signal, as well as that of: Starscream, Knock Out, Soundwave, Shockwave, and Airachnid, whose signal appeared to be that of a Bot in stasis of some kind. After looking at the screen for a moment, Ninjusk turned to the navigation system and keyed in a course to the planet, identified by the onboard computer as Earth.

"You've hidden long enough, Starscream. Time for you to join with the Allspark."

**Jasper, Nevada, Earth**

The atmosphere in Autobot Outpost Omega 2 was one of celebration. Darkmount had been destroyed, Optimus was revived ("And radder than ever," Miko was quick to point out), and the Autobots had a new base to replace the one destroyed by the Decepticons. Ratchet and Raf had just finished installing the equipment necessary to detect Cybertronian signals when the alarm went off, signaling the detection of a moving signal.

"What? How is this possible?" Ratchet asked. Looking at the screen, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"What? What is it?" Miko asked.

"I'm picking up a Cybertronian signal, but it's so heavily shielded, I can't tell if it's Autobot or Decepticon."

"Are their communications on?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"It appears so," Ratchet said.

"Then we must attempt to contact this individual," Optimus Prime said, "for it would be unwise to shoot down an unidentified signal. It may belong to an Autobot."

Ratchet activated the radio and said, "Autobot Outpost Omega 2 calling unidentified signal. Identify yourself immediately."

"First, identify yourself," a flat, cold voice spoke from the radio. "Who are you?"

"Greetings, unidentified soldier," Ultra Magnus started.

"Greetings, Ultra Magnus. It has been a while."

A look of surprise mixed with disgust sprang up on Ultra Magnus' face. "Ninjusk?! We thought you were dead!" the commander said in astonishment.

"I've gotta update this blocker," the voice muttered in reply. "Can't have eavesdroppers listening in. Good to hear you alive and kicking, I guess. Is Optimus Prime there?"

"I am here," the Prime answered.

"Why did Ultra Magnus assume I was dead?"

"Your signal had appeared to go offline after you left Cybertron," Ratchet said.

"Good," Ninjusk said. "That means the tracking blocking program I installed did its job."

"Where you been, soldier?" Ultra Magnus said.

"None of your business," Ninjusk coldly replied. "I've had enough of this dialogue. I'll be arriving at your location within a few minutes. This is Ninjusk, signing off."

For a moment, the room was silent. Silent, that is, until Miko decided to break it. "Okay. Who was that? Why was he so rude? Even I'm not that rude."

"Agreed," Arcee remarked dryly.

"Ninjusk was one of our most controversial soldiers in the war for Cybertron," Optimus Prime said, going over to the computer. He brought up what looked like a file on the screen. It showed an Autobot with black coloring. He had a cold scowl on his face, with a lithe, agile-looking frame. Miko shivered slightly, unnerved by the figure's red eyes. "During the war for Cybertron, he was known as Ninjusk Noir," Optimus continued.

"He was well known in Wrecker circles as being a proficient assassin," Bulkhead added. "You never want to get on the bad side of him."

"Why?" Miko asked.

"Um . . Maybe it's because he's an assassin," Jack replied.

"Well, what else do we know about him?" Miko asked.

"Not much, I'm afraid," Optimus admitted. "Ninjusk always preferred to fight on his own. There were few records on him when Cybertron was alive. Now that many millions of years have passed since then, I fear such records are now even harder to find."

Ultra Magnus nodded in agreement. "Despite his controversial position as an assassin-"

"Wait a minute. Why was being an assassin considered controversial?" Jack asked.

"Being an assassin was considered to be the position of a coward," Ultra Magnus replied. "There weren't even that many Decepticon Assassins. Even THEY considered it cowardice."

"You made an exception for Tall, Dark, and Creepy, right?" Miko asked.

Optimus nodded, and replied, "His proficiency at hand to hand combat meant that he could make assassination his secondary function on the battlefield."

"He's a tough 'Bot," Wheeljack added. "I've seen him take some serious punishment. He's real good at dishing it out. Still, he preferred being an assassin. He was so good at his job, we used to call him 'The Silent Killer.'"

"Kind of like the Grim reaper of our legends," Raf said.

"Indeed," a cold voice said from behind them.

Everyone jumped and turned around to face the intruder, but there was no one there. Suddenly, someone dropped from the ceiling. He took Optimus down by sweeping his legs out, knocking his head against the floor. The figure did the same the same to Ultra Magnus, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack before they could react. Arcee was the only Autobot who had managed to block the figure's quick jabs. "Hmm. You're agile, I'll give you that," the mystery 'Bot muttered, "but agility isn't everything." He disappeared into the shadows. Arcee looked around the room, arm-blades at the ready. She didn't dare use guns against the figure, not while she was within the walls of the post. Suddenly, someone tackled her from behind. She fell flat on her stomach. When she flipped onto her back, she realized the figure had a knife to her spark chamber. "Never take your eyes off your opponent," the figure cautioned. He then dodged a swing from Bulkhead, then countered with a quick jab to the Wrecker's shoulder joints, temporarily knocking them out of alignment.

"That you, Ninjusk?" the green Wrecker asked.

"If you don't know me already, Bulkhead," Ninjusk replied, "then I have no reason to reveal myself. The less who know me, the better."

"Yeah, good to see you too, bud," Wheeljack drily replied.

**Ninjusk's POV**

They fell quickly. It was all too easy. "I don't know how Megatron hasn't terminated you glitches yet." I walked over to where Ultra Magnus stood. "You've grown soft, Ultra Magnus. It's a wonder you weren't terminated millions of years ago." I turned to Wheeljack and Bulkhead. Both turned away nervously. Perhaps my appearance unnerved them. "Never take your eyes off your opponent, Wheeljack. You know that. Bulkhead, less overswing." I looked coldly at the blue Autobot, one that I had given assistance to in the past when she needed some Energon for something or other.

"I know, I know," she interrupted, "don't take your eyes off your opponent."

"Actually, that's not what I was going to say," I replied. She looked so much like Elita . . . . . "Stay light on your feet. You'll survive longer that way."

"Awww, looook," Wheeljack yelled loudly. "Ninjusk's gone soft!"

"Glad to see you haven't changed," I replied coldly.

"Lighten up, dude," a high-pitched voice yelled from near my heel strut. I looked down to see a female human with black and pink hair glaring at me.

"B-better be careful, Miko," Bulkhead yelled.

"Miko . . . . . . An interesting name," I chuckled coldly, staring down at the girl named Miko. Not a Cybertronian name. I looked over at Optimus and said, "The natives, do they all display the same lack of fear for assassins?"

"Here," Miko interrupted, "assassins are like ninjas." Doing various karate poses, she continued, "striking from the shadows, taking down their opponents before they know what hit them! And then, they disappear, without a-" she looked up and saw that I was no longer standing where I originally was. "Trace," she said, finishing her remark.

"Oh, I'm all that and more," I reassured, appearing behind her.

"It would be so COOL if you could show me!" She yelled loudly, turning to face me. How they deal with this organic and her vocal tones, I never will know. "So ya gonna be staying a while?" she asked.

Hmph. "Since I don't have a ship of my own, I suppose I'll need a place to stay," I sighed, "that is, if I'm granted permission," I coldly added, staring over at Ultra Magnus, who in turn looked to Optimus. If I ever respected a being of authority, it's Optimus Prime.

"We will be more than willing to share our resources with you, Ninjusk," the Prime said. "However, you'll need a vehicle forme. Here on this planet, we are robots in disguise."

Reluctantly, I agreed. I knew that assuming a forme native to this world would keep me off the Decepticon radar. Curse that Soundwave. It took me a few weeks, but I was accepted as a member of the team. Ugh. It's not too bad, being a motorcycle. It took a couple of weeks to find the right one, but when it came, I knew it was the right one. Before I left for quieter areas to gather my thoughts, I heard the one named Miko arguing with her love, the human known as Jack. Their arguments are frequent, but have no fire in them. These natives are so annoying. Elita would love their ways. She always saw a joke in things. Elita . . . . . . . . .

(Flashback)

"_Run, Ninjusk! RUN!" A pink female Cybertronian yelled. "Come on, Genos!" A black male Sparkling with pink highlights came running up. Suddenly, a blast came from the air, striking the Sparkling. He was immediately disintegrated. A Decepticon with missiles on his wrists, a slender head, and sharp fingers descended from the air._

"_Elita. It's been so long!"_

"_I told you, Starscream! I'm not going back to your side!"_

"_Very well!" With a swift motion, he tore out her spark and exploded a missile in the hole. Even now, her scream pierces . . . . . . . ._

_(End flashback)_

"Is something wrong?" a voice asked, interrupting my thoughts. It was the blue Autobot, Arcee. I could make out a slight blush on her metal cheeks.

"Nothing," I coldly growled.

"I was just asking," she replied, strained patience in her voice. We were sitting on the edge of the top of the former Autobot base, looking out over the canyon below. "Aren't we a little close to the edge?"

"I don't care about heights," I replied coldly.

The female Autobot shrugged, and sat down next to me. "I know that look," she said.

"What look?" I asked. As far as I knew, my face was an emotionless mask.

"You had the look of someone who was thinking about someone they had cared about, and lost. Believe me, I know." She looked behind her, at a mound of rocks that had managed to remain undisturbed by the Decepticons' destruction of the base. I could pick up traces of Dark Energon under the mound. "That's where my partner, Cliffjumper, lies," Arcee said, sadness tingeing her voice. "He would've loved to meet someone like you." I could tell by her voice that she had loved Cliffjumper deeply, but she had gotten over her loss. "So, who did you lose?" She asked.

"None of your business," I grumbled, uncomfortable with her question. She didn't pursue the point further.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Arcee said, scooting closer to me. "I'm not Miko, you know."

"Thankfully," I muttered. Suddenly, Arcee stiffened, and pressed a hand to her communicator. A message must have been coming in. My communicator wasn't on the same frequency as the others.

"Okay. . . . They're excavating what? Okay. I'll tell him," Arcee said before turning to me. _"Not like he'll listen,"_ she muttered under her breath. "Optimus just said that there's activity at a Decepticon mine over in Mongolia. _Unusual activity._"

"And they expect us to investigate?" I asked. "I can camouflage myself. Just don't get in my way," I added as I jumped off the cliff, switching to motorcycle mode just before jumping off a rock.

"Here we go," I heard her mutter as we drove through the groundbridge sending us to Mongolia . . . . .

**Okay, time to give credit where it's due. Thank you, Darion Prime, for giving the idea of telling part of the story from Ninjusk's point of view. Heck, if it wasn't for the "If I were an Autobot" questions on Darion's profile, this story wouldn't exist. Now, just who is Ninjusk? Why is he so cold? And who is Elita? You'll have to review in order to get any hints. Read and review. All flames will be handed over to Predaking for thorough roasting. Oh, there's the barbecue sauce. Anyways, read and review. I will not update until I get a minimum of 5 reviews. Until then, have a nice day . . Hahahahahaha . . . . . . . . . . . **


	2. A Peek Behind The Mask

**Greetings, fellow fanfic writers. Don't worry, spectators are welcome. Just stay away from the glass. Predaking's pissed because there were no flamers for him to feed on. There will be some human language in this chapter, as well as some Cybertronian cursing. Anyways, I do not own Transformers Prime, but I do own Ninjusk Noir and any OCs I ever come up with. Unless otherwise noted, the story will be seen from Ninjusk's POV.**

**-A Peek Behind The Mask-**

We landed in a pit of rock and sand. "So, this is Mongolia," Arcee said, trying to make light conversation. I shrugged slightly, and engaged my cloaking field. It would mask our signals from that blasted Soundwave, and mask us visibly. "Would it kill you to be a little more open, Ninjusk?" she asked. I screeched to a halt, turning around to glare at her while maintaining vehicle mode.

"Open?" I growled. "To be open is to invite injury. I learned that mistake in the past. I will not make it again." I rolled across the desert terrain, Arcee following close behind. The sand and grit was scratching my paint, but I could care less. My paint job was custom-made by an Autobot paint job master, far better painter than Knock Out. It was designed to hide scratches in the paint, allowing my stealth to remain uncompromised without the cloaking field.

"There's something I need to tell you, Ninjusk," Arcee said but she was interrupted by the sound of nearby drilling.

"I need no advice, female," I said coldly. "I'm shutting off the cloak for now. It'll be better for keeping my arrival on Earth a secret." Arcee looked at me as we shifted back to Cybertronian forme, slightly confused, and I told her, "If Megatron knows of my existence on this planet, he will not hesitate to annihilate the entire team." I respected Optimus Prime too much to take that chance. Unlikely, perhaps, but one must not underestimate the fraggin' leader of the Decepticons. We snuck up to the entrance of the mine. It was a shallow one, barely 10 of Optimus' footsteps into the cliff-side. I counted 6 guards, 4 workers, and 2 Insecticons.

"Look," Arcee whispered suddenly. I looked up, and saw what looked like a long, black, spindly leg withdrawing itself into a nearby cave. I felt Arcee stiffen next to me, and I knew why. I had already identified the owner of the leg.

I gestured toward the cave, and Arcee gave me a "What the fuck are you thinking?" look. I rolled my eyes. "I know who's in the cave. I've got a score to settle with her." After I quickly checked my hidden sniper rifle, making sure it had its special, rather deadly load ready to go, I dashed toward the cave. It was about 100 human ft. away, but it may as well have been 10. Traversing the distance was no trouble for me. I had done far more dangerous stunts before. I allowed myself a faint shadow of a smile at the thought of Ultra Magnus' exasperation at some of my more dangerous stunts. Almost immediately, a line of sticky biofluid struck me in the chestplate. I allowed myself to be dragged into the cave, knowing what would happen next.

A soft, silky yet evil voice came from just over my head. "Well, well, well. Aren't you just a lovely catch?" the voice murmured as a black and silver angular face with purple, prismed eyes lowered itself within my sightline as I was webbed to the wall of the cave.

"Airachnid!" a voice whispered from the cave entrance. "Let him go!" It was Arcee, guns at the ready.

"Now why would I give up this particular prize, Arcee?" Airachnid chuckled. "I've been searching for this little Bot for quite a while." She turned toward where I was webbed on the cave wall, only to find I had disappeared.

**-Arcee's POV-**

I was stunned by what happened. I didn't even see Ninjusk escape the silk. It was as sudden as it was silent. Even more astonishing was the sudden green glow that sprang up in Airachnid's eyes. She collapsed to the cave floor, impaling an arm on a stalagmite. She yelled loudly in pain, but her voice-box was quickly slashed in two by a silver knife that appeared from the shadows. "Now, Arcee," Ninjusk's voice flowed from the darkness like a cold wind, "Strike the final blow." I turned back to the spiderlike ex-Decepticon. She was already pushing herself to her feet, using her spider-legs for support. She looked at me, and slashed out with one of her legs. I dodged to the side, and using the knife Ninjusk had thrown, sliced off the head of my greatest adversary. I stared at the knife, and at Airachnid's headless body, then back at the knife. I couldn't believe that it was done. The Airachnid I had hated for so long, loathed and wanted dead for so long, was lying at my feet, terminated.

**-Regular (Ninjusk's) POV-**

I wanted to destroy that filthy bitch, but knew from Team Prime that Arcee had a history with Airachnid. I knew how it felt to have unsolved histories on the mind, and wished to relieve Arcee of that burden. Unfortunately, the sound of Airachnid's termination had brought the Decepticons to our cave. "Scrap," Arcee yelled. I shrugged, and charged forward. The shadows cloaked my presence until I was directly above their heads.

"Well, well, well," a snotty, almost prissy voice said at the entrance of the cave. "What do we have here?"

"Knock Out."

"Pleased to see you haven't forgotten me, Arcee," the red Decepticon said as he walked through the troops toward her. "So, the Autobots are hunting bones now, eh? Very bad for the paint job."

"I grow weary of your preening," I growled from the shadows. Knock Out started spinning around trying to find me. Bah. He would've had better luck finding Cybertron with a human telescope.

"What the - - Who are you?!" the Decepticon yelled to the shadows.

"Pleased to see you HAVE forgotten me," I chuckled coldly, Knock Out's helm in the sights of my sniper rifle.

"Wait," he said. "You're Ninju-!" He tried to say, but I interrupted with a Concentrated Energon Shot to the neck that drilled through the side of his throat, destroying his voice-box completely.

"One aft shut up," I muttered under my breath. Underneath me, the Decepticons, Insecticons included, began firing at the cave ceiling, trying to either hit me or bury me. I rained a few shots down with my gun-hands, and dashed out of the cave, unnoticed by everyone. I grabbed Arcee on the way out, and dashed toward the unguarded cave excavated by the Cons. There was an area they had concentrated on, and at the end was . . . . "A skull?"

"Yes," Arcee said. "We're hunting bones the Decepticons want."

"Very well," I said as I pulled the dragon-like skull from the rubble surrounding it. Shifting to motorcycle mode, under the shield of the cloaking field, we drove away from the cave.

"Ratchet, we need a groundbridge," Arcee said. A few seconds later, a green portal with a bluish center appeared in front of us, swallowing us up. As soon as we had entered the base, I reverted back to Cybertronian forme, and tossed the skull to the nearest Autobot, Bulkhead, who caught the skull, but crashed into a computer screen.

"Bulkhead! I NEEDED THAT!" Ratchet yelled.

"Put a cork in it, doc," I growled, putting the computer screen back on its stand. Turning back into a motorcycle, I sped out of the base.

**-Arcee's POV-**

"What's eating him?" Miko asked.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. I didn't tell her about what Ninjusk had said about opening up in the past, and getting hurt. Speeding off after Ninjusk, I wondered why Airachnid had had such interest in Ninjusk. I had questions, and since Airachnid was no longer alive, I would ask the other Bot who knew: Ninjusk Noir.

**And that's the chapter. Hope you liked it. Originally, I planned on killing Knock Out, but Darion Prime saved him. Now, I think I'll keep Knock Out around for sheer amusement. After all, all he can do now without his voice-box is grunt and growl. I never liked Airachnid that much, and figured I'd do the Decepticons a favor by terminating her. Actually, I did them a big favor by shutting Knock Out's voice-box. Now for the tormenting questions: Why was Ninjusk agitated about opening up? Why did Airachnid display such interest in Ninjusk? And where did Ninjusk get those Concentrated Energon Shots (CES for short)?**


	3. Of Hangers and Foreshadows

_**Greetings, readers. I'm certain you're wondering when the next chapter of Dead To Emotion, Alive to Vengeance will be published. Do not worry. It will be published soon. But first, a teaser from Ninjusk's point of view:**_

Arcee flinched, her eyes filling with sadness and understanding. "I lost Cliffjumper to Starscream, also," she said.

I stiffened. "So, my brother IS dead," I replied.

Arcee's face filled with shock. "Cliffjumper is your brother?" She said, remembering to keep her voice low. "You're nothing like him."

"I know," I replied. I sighed, and turned toward Arcee. "You know, I wasn't always this cold. I never was as warm as my elder brother, but certainly not as cold as I am now."

_**Shocking, isn't it? If you want to see more, a ransom of 6 reviews for the previous two chapters is required. You may review by PM if you wish. There is no time limit, but the longer you wait to review, the less likely it will be that I choose to update this story …...**_


	4. The Mask Begins To Fade

_**Greetings, readers. In the previous chapter, Ninjusk hinted at opening up in the past, and getting hurt for it. Question is, who hurt him? And why did Airachnid call him "quite the lovely catch"? These questions may be answered, but you have to read to find out.**_

**Chapter 4: The Mask Begins To Fade**

**Arcee's POV**

_**Flashback**_

As soon as we returned to the base with the Predacon skull, Ninjusk tossed it aside and took off. "Is he usually like this?" I asked wryly, trying to hide the concern in my voice.

"Actually, no," Wheeljack explained. "I've never seen him like this. He may be less respectful to Shoulder Pads than I ("Well, that's a shock!" Miko interrupted), but he's usually more cold than hostile."

_**End Flashback**_

I found him sitting next to the rock pile that marked Cliffjumper's grave. "What's up?" I asked.

"Nothing," Ninjusk muttered in his usual cold tone.

"I'm not that easily fooled, Ninjusk," I replied. "You said something earlier about being hurt."

"Wheeljack's right," he muttered. "I HAVE gone soft." He turned to me, and said, "Just forget about it, okay?"

"No," I said. "I can't, not after what Airachnid said. She said that she had been searching for you for a while. Why?"

"You won't leave until you get an answer, right?" he asked. "You're worse than Miko." He sighed deeply, and walked to the edge of the cliff, sitting with his legs hanging over the edge. I went over to sit next to him. "What I am about to tell you is to remain completely confidential You must swear on the Spark of Primus that you will tell no one what I tell you," he abruptly said. If he wanted me to swear on the Spark of Primus, he was going to tell me highly sensitive information, stuff he definitely wanted no other Bot to hear.

Maybe, I'll hear about his past. (_Sure would help understand him further_,) I thought. "Okay," I said out loud. "I swear on the Spark of Primus that what you tell me will not be heard by any other members of Team Prime."

Satisfied, Ninjusk nodded. He took a deep breath, one I had heard Tailgate take before talking about his torn past. "To put it in human terms," Ninjusk said in his cold, soft tone, "Airachnid and I were once a couple. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Nothing more. This was before the war for Cybertron started going downhill for the entire planet."

I had to hold in my shocked laughter, but was unable to hold in a few giggles at the thought of that spiderlike afthole hooking up with someone, but I quickly got ahold of them when I saw the pain on Ninjusk's face. That shocked me more than a thousand of Knock Out's electrostaffs. "She's the one who hurt you, isn't she?" I asked, my voice much softer.

"Yes."

"I—I'm sorry. I didn't know," I replied.

"It … is okay," he muttered. He growled slightly and continued, "We were almost happy together, but she became sadistic, cruel. She would capture Scraplets just to torture them and laugh at their pain. Even Scraplets don't deserve torture like that. I threatened to break up with her because I couldn't stand her sadism any longer, but she promised to reform, and like a little Sparkling, I believed her." He smashed his fist into the cliffside, and growled, "Shortly after that, I found out she had been cheating on me with Knock Out, the lousy afthole. As if that wasn't bad enough, she went over to the Decepticons, and THEN she had the gall to try and seduce me into joining them. That really ground my gears, and I told her we were through. She nearly killed me that day, Arcee. I wasn't as stealthy then as I am today …"

I didn't know what shocked me more: the fact that Ninjusk had managed to survive Airachnid's attack, or the fact that he used my name. "I'm sorry," I said, the words feeling cold, robotic, and meaningless even as I said them. "I shouldn't have pressed you so hard," I added. I stood up and turned away, but I felt a hand reach up to grab mine, a hand colder than the Arctic that nearly claimed my spark.

"I have the feeling you lost someone to Airachnid as well, and I understand it wasn't Cliffjumper."

I nodded, and went back to sit next to him, but closer than earlier. "I lost Tailgate to Airachnid during the war," I said, my voice growing sad at the memory of that day.

"May I take a look?" Ninjusk asked. I was confused by his words. "What do you mean?" I asked.

He turned to me and held up his hand, which turned into a sensor that was purplish with a blue center: a Cortical Psychic Patch. "My handheld Cortical Psychic Patch is similar to the usual Patch, but my version is far more secure, and has different settings."

"What are they?" I asked, curious in spite of myself.

"There are 2 basic settings: one where I just barge in and get what I need, and you're powered down," Ninjusk explained, "and the second setting allows more clouded and unclear memories to be viewed. It's less invasive, and can switch to the first setting if I need to, and I rarely need to." He looked to the side, and said, "I figured it would be easier for you to simply show me the memory rather than retell it." I nodded and grabbed the Patch behind its headpiece. "Where do I put it?"

"Back of the head," he replied. "Easiest to do."

Nodding, I stuck the Patch on the back of my head. "Now, think about the event, from the beginning. Ah, I see. You came out of forced power-down. Okay…"

**Regular (Ninjusk's point of view)**

I looked around the room. It was dark and musty, with webs all over the place. _(So, this is where Arcee was when Tailgate was destroyed,) _I thought. Suddenly, I heard a groan right above my head. It was Arcee, webbed loosely so that she hung from the low ceiling. I saw another Autobot attached to the ceiling of the room by webbing. He was greenish-black with silver highlights. Tailgate. I looked over toward Arcee, and saw Airachnid crawling across the ceiling toward her. "Wakey, wakey, little Bot," the spiderlike Decepticon chuckled as she crawled over.

"I told you, I'm not talking," Arcee replied.

"Oh, I don't want you to talk," Airachnid sneered as she scratched Arcee's cheek with a long fingernail. "I want to hear you scream." She crawled over to where Tailgate hung, dropping to the floor. She raised a hand, spread the fingers wide, and slashed downward. Energon sprayed from the wound, staining the walls and floor as it flowed. It only took moments for Tailgate to die.

"TAILGATE!" Arcee yelled.

Suddenly, the memory blacked out. Back in my own body, I looked over at Arcee. She had pulled the end of the Cortical Psychic Patch out of the back of her head. "Sorry," she apologized.

"No need to apologize, Arcee," I assured her. "I saw. I miss Tailgate, also." She looked over at me.

"Were you related to him?" She asked, quite surprised.

"He was my brother-in-law," I replied.

"You were married?!" Arcee shouted.

I winced at the sound of her shout. "Keep it up," I growled sarcastically. "I don't think the Cons heard you."

"Sorry," Arcee said, lowering her voice. "I was just surprised that you had a-"

"Sparkmate?" I interrupted. "Yes, I did."

Arcee inched closer to me, almost leaning against me. "Who was the lucky Bot?"

"She was Elita," I replied, turning away from Arcee so she wouldn't see my tears. I missed Elita so much.

"You seem sad," Arcee noted. She looked over at my face and saw the tears coming out of my optics. "What happened to her?" she asked

"I lost her. Lost her to a fragging Con who still lives." I cursed.

"Who killed her?"

"Starscream."

Arcee flinched, her eyes filling with sadness and understanding. "I lost Cliffjumper to Starscream, also," she said.

I stiffened. "So, my brother IS dead," I replied.

Arcee's face filled with shock. "Cliffjumper is your brother?" She said, remembering to keep her voice low. "You're nothing like him."

"I know," I replied. I sighed, and turned toward Arcee. "You know, I wasn't always this cold. I never was as warm as my elder brother, but certainly not as cold as I am now."

**Arcee's POV**

I was stunned, to say the least. Not only was Ninjusk the brother of Cliffjumper, my favorite combat partner, he even had a Sparkmate. "What were you like?" I asked.

Ninjusk sighed, and said, "It's been so long, I've forgotten."

The remark seemed to sadden him, as his head drooped lower, staring at the desert below the cliff. It stunned me, how this individual, who seemed so cold and distant, kept that up like a wall so no one would see the scars underneath. I understood his reluctance to share his past, and I personally understood his reluctance to open up. I had closed myself off after Tailgate died. "Ninjusk, you do yourself no good by closing yourself off. Cliffjumper once said that 'Closing yourself off won't help anyone,' and by opening up to him, I was able to recover my former happy, emotional self," I reached down to grab his hand, "and if you open up, I'm sure you'll be able to recover the Bot you used to be."

He looked down at my hand, then at me. "What … are you t-trying to do?" he stuttered. I couldn't help but giggle at his response.

"What's this?" I teased. "The mighty Ninjusk Noir, scared by a defenseless femme?"

"You are far from defenseless," he snorted back. "I've seen you in combat, and despite your rather obvious fighting style, you don't look too defenseless."

I rolled his eyes at him, and said, "I'm saying that you should open up a little. Don't be so scared. None of the other Autobots are anything like Airachnid."

"I remain unconvinced," he replied, staring into my optics. "You have a hidden motive, it seems. Do not lie. I can see your vitals fluctuating."

I decided to come clean with him. There was nowhere to hide under the watchful glare of those red optics. No wonder the only information about him concerned his prowess as an assassin. "I admit it. I did have another motive." I shuffled over until I was standing next to him, grabbed his hand again, and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Ninjusk."

"Why?"

I couldn't believe what I heard. "What do you mean?"

He stared into my eyes with a sharpness that could slice the Nemesis in half. "Why?" he repeated. "Why me? Certainly, Bulkhead would be a better Sparkmate to you. He's a lot more open than I."

"He is," I admitted, "but I look deeper than that. I look at the spark. Underneath all those layers, there's the spark of a king and loving warrior."

"You know nothing!" He snapped at me suddenly, yanking his hand out of mine. "Do you know what happened after Starscream shattered Genos and then Elita with those missiles of his?! I fled Cybertron! My grief consumed me, and I abandoned our world! Like a Sparkless coward! Even Wheeljack didn't do that! He may have deserted from the Wreckers, but I deserted from the entire planet! You would be better off being with a Bot of purer Spark than I!" He started panting, trying to cool his jets, so to speak. Eventually, he snarled, "Go with someone else, someone who actually has the ball bearings to stay when his world crashes around him!" With that, he transformed into a motorcycle, and sped off.

I was startled by his confession. It had hit me like a tidal wave hitting a human boat. After a few moments, I realized that Ninjusk's outburst didn't change the fact that I still loved him. "I won't give up on you," I whispered. "No matter how much an aft you may be …"

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that it was worth the wait. Do not worry. All concerns will be addressed as soon as possible. I decided to upload early. Hope you don't mind. Please leave your thoughts in a review. I do appreciate them. I would also like to thank DreamMaster08X for helping plan the future chapters. The Termination List has been completed. Who's on it? Who's not on it? You'd have to PM me to find out. Yes, I'm dropping hints on purpose. I'm just being an aft that way.**

**As for the Transformers terminology, for those unfamiliar, here's a brief explanation of certain words:**

**Cortical Psychic Patch: A device used to get information from a Transformer's mind. Not handheld in the TV series.**

**Aft: Cybertronian word for 'ass', meaning acting like one, as well as the general body part.**

**Sparkling: Cybertronian child. Used for young mechs and femmes.**

**Sparkmate: Cybertronian term for spouse.**


	5. Rise Of A Dragon Part 1

**Hello. I suppose that you're wondering what's coming next. Ninjusk has split from the Autobots, but where did he go? What will Arcee do? Will Superman defeat Lex Luth—Sorry, wrong show****. Anyways, it's about time we started seeing things from the Deceptions' point of view. This chapter uses multiple quotes and scenes straight the Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters episode Evolution. If you haven't watched the episode, please view it before reading this chapter. I do not own Evolution, or Transformers Prime, but I wish I did.**

**Chapter 5: Rise Of A Dragon In The Skin Of A Knight Part 1**

**Aboard the **_**Nemesis**_

**Megatron's POV**

"Knock Out! What happened to you?" I yelled. The arrogant, normally loud red mech was strangely silent, and there was a groove in his throat.

"His voice-box was shot out by someone from the shadows," a Vehicon replied.

"Out of the shadows …" I mused. "Are you certain you saw no one hidden there?"

"We saw no one, my lord," the Vehicon replied. "We just saw this single shot come down and strike Knock Out across the throat."

_(Hmm._ _If_ he's _returned, our path has just gotten more dangerous,) _I thought. "Knock Out, you have one more chance to redeem yourself. The next time we detect a Predacon Bone, go and lead the excavation team. Remember to stay alert this time!" Knock Out bowed, grateful I had spared him, and he should be grateful his punishment wasn't more severe. "Now, return to your duties, immediately, before I change my mind." The red mech bowed at the waist, and retreated from the room. I dismissed all other guards, leaving Starscream, Shockwave, and Soundwave as the only other Decepticons on the bridge.

"Master, is there something troubling you?" My second-in-command, Starscream asked.

"Indeed, Starscream. Something is troubling me," I replied, "or rather, _someone_. Someone I'm sure you are familiar with."

"You mean, the Autobot a-a-assassin, Lord M-Megatron?" The grey mech stuttered out.

"Affirmative."

**Starscream's POV**

I felt like Lord Megatron's confirmation of my question had groundbridged my Spark into the deepest Antarctic ice. "He … he lives? But that's—that's impossible. We already destroyed the Ark, and he wasn't among them. Even if he was alive, surely he would've surfaced by now."

"Your assumption is logical," Shockwave replied. "If he were around, only Project Predacon would be capable of stopping him."

"I am not sure if he truly has returned," Lord Megatron said, "but if he has, our path as Decepticons has become truly treacherous ground." He glanced at all of us, glaring at me, and added, "None of the information in this discussion is permitted to escape the confines of the bridge. Am I understood?"

"Affirmative, my liege," Shockwave and I replied. Soundwave replied with a nod.

"And Shockwave, about Project Predacon."

"Yes, my liege?"

"See if you can do anything to … speed things up," Lord Megatron replied.

"I will do as you wish, Lord Megatron," the toadying scientist replied.

When Shockwave left the bridge, Megatron glared at me with a look that should have burned my spark. "Master, I apologize greatly for the Terrorcon incident a few weeks ago. But all I wanted to do was give you an army that you could control. Please! Give me another chance!" I pleaded. If Megatron wished to rip out my Spark, there was nothing I could do to resist his might. "Go to your quarters, Starscream," Megatron replied, "while I ponder your fate."

"Th-thank you, Lord Megatron," I said, bowing, and then walking out of the room, grateful to escape with my life. I got to my room within a few minutes, coming across few other Decepticons, another reminder of my failure to create a perfect army for Lord Megatron. A few days ago, I had experimented on Silas, a human using Breakdown's body, with Synthetic Energon to try and connect him to Lord Megatron's Spark. Unfortunately, samples of Synthetic Energon prevented the Dark Energon from allowing Megatron, having some Dark Energon in his own Spark, to control Silas. After he broke free, Silas proceeded to infect over half the Nemesis' crew, and unleash that harpy, Airachnid. Fortunately, Soundwave had teleported that freak off the Nemesis. I sat in my room, earnestly hoping that Lord Megatron would spare me once again.

"STARSCREAM!"

I ran out of my room, and bowed in the presence of my lord. "Y—yes, Lord Megatron?"

"Come with me. It's time you saw what Shockwave has accomplished." He turned around, and began walking toward the upper hull of the _Nemesis_. I followed, wondering where we were going.

**Secret underground base, Decepticon Lab**

"Please, my liege," I begged, "who could have foreseen that my supersoldier experiment would encounter such … technical difficulties?" He ignored me, and we walked deeper into the mine. Within moments, we encountered a gentle yellow glow, coming from multiple holding tubes, each containing a Predacon. "Shockwave's laboratory. Hmm, most impressive."

There were three long lines of holding tubes. A veritable army of Predacons. "My liege," Shockwave said, "the Predacon clones have almost reached maturity, and will be ready within 3 solar cycles."

"Excellent, Shockwave," Megatron replied. "Knock Out, bring the Synthetic Energon down, immediately." Knock Out appeared a few minutes later, carrying some cubes of the green Synthetic Energon.

"I will determine the worth of the Synthetic Energon after Lord Megatron's Predacon army is ready for deployment. Suddenly, we heard a roar coming from within the entrance tunnel. It was the Predacon. I smacked it with a pipe, snarling, "How DARE you come down here without permission!" The beast pushed me to the ground, and … transformed into a forme that Predacons were never supposed to be able to assume, according to Shockwave.

"Strike me again, and I will bury that rod in your Spark," he threatened.

**Megatron's POV**

"I .. did not know that the beast was capable of transformation," Starscream hesitantly stated.

"Nor did I," I added.

"I am no mere beast," Predaking snarled. "I am more than that."

"And yet you've been keeping secrets from me," I said, interrupting Predaking.

"I didn't mean to hide secrets from you, Lord Megatron, as I became aware of my abilities only recently," the Predacon replied. "All I knew of the beginning of my existence was hunting… and battle," he said, looking off into the distance, "and the wounding of my pride," he added, aiming a glare at Starscream. "For that reason, I began to burn with questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? The warship's databanks gave historical facts, but still, I possessed no knowledge about my past. For that reason, I began to question my place in the present. Could I be like the others? Now I know."

"And yet you are unique," I noted. "A miracle of science, revived by Shockwave from the Cyber Nucleic Acid of the bones of your ancestors." Predaking nodded, satisfied with the answer.

**Aboard the **_**Nemesis**_

"While I am thankful to my creator for my existence," Predaking said, "I swear total allegiance to you, Lord Megatron, and since more of my kind will soon walk these halls, I beg permission to lead them, as Predaking."

"Your vision is boundless," I noted.

I met with Starscream, Shockwave, and Knock Out in a side room after telling Predaking to guard the Predacon Clone lab in our absence. "The former beast may think himself a loyal servant today, but if his 'royal highness' were to learn that he and his kind possess more power than what currently remains of the Decepticons—"

"Evolution would give way to Revolution," Starscream finished.

I nodded, and continued, "I have no choice. We must eradicate the Predacon clones before they can eradicate us in turn."

**Starscream's POV**

[You're not saying that Shockwave will pull the plug on his beloved science project, are you?] Knock Out wrote on a tablet.

"Your conclusion is most logical, my liege," Shockwave admitted, causing a shocked look to appear on Knock Out's face.

"Oh, what's the matter, Knock Out? Scraplet got your tongue?" I teased, earning a snarl from the medic.

[Well, what happens if that brute discovers our treachery?] Knock Out wrote.

I decided to enlighten them all with my plan. "Why assume that WE will be the ones to perform the deed?" I asked. "After all, if we were to tell the Predacon that, say, the Autobots were responsible for the deaths of his comrades, then he will be most eager to destroy our enemies. Or they him." Megatron smiled slightly.

**Autobot Base, Ninjusk's POV**

"Optimus!" Ratchet yelled. "I'm picking up a spike of exposed Energon."

Optimus nodded, and replied, "Considering our resources are at a severe low, we cannot afford to not investigate."

I watched from the shadows as Optimus, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Ultra "Pain In The Aft" Magnus exited through the Groundbridge to the exposed Energon Source. Then, something happened that hadn't happened for millions of years:

"Hey, Ninjusk. You can come out, now," Arcee yelled.

**Darkest Nightmare's Dread**_**: Okay, take five, people and Bots! That's a wrap! I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter, dear readers. Your views are appreciated, your reviews enjoyed. I did not do this chapter by myself. I had help from a fellow Transformers/Beast Wars fanfic writer: DreamMaster08X. His help has been most invaluable. If you're reading this, DreamMaster08X, thank you. Well, until the next chapter, goodbye. I hope we meet soon. . . . . .**_


	6. Rise Of A Dragon Part 2

_**This is part two of Rise Of A Dragon. Enjoy.**_

**Chapter 6: Rise Of A Dragon In The Skin Of A Knight Part 2**

**Optimus Prime's POV**

"Decepticons! Step away from the Energon, and surrender." The Vehicons did not listen, and proceeded to fire on my crew. The resulting battle was quick. The Decepticons fell easily. The Wreckers Bulkhead, Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack attacked in one group, distracting the Decepticons. The rest of my team, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, and Arcee attacked in another group, easily destroying the guards. "Look at all this sweet fuel," Smokescreen noted. I nodded in agreement. The fuel was indeed a welcome addition to our supplies. "Stealth Team, transport our new cargo back to base. Wreckers, reconnoiter the mine." "I've always wanted to roll with the Wreckers," Smokescreen yelled excitedly.

**Ultra Magnus' POV**

We entered the mine, expecting to encounter resistance. There was none. "No Energon signals," Bulkhead noted.

"And no additional security," Wheeljack added. "Something doesn't smell right." I had to agree with Wheeljack on that one. It was quite probable that we were entering a trap. After walking for a few minutes, we came to a fork in the tunnel path. "Pair off," I ordered. Bulkhead and Smokescreen went through one tunnel, Wheeljack and I heading down the other. We quickly encountered a yellow glow, soon revealed to be rows of containment cells.

"Well, that's a whole load of ugly," Wheeljack stated. (A/N: Captain Obvious much, Jackie?).

"It would appear that Megatron's cloning operation is further along than we anticipated," I noted, slightly afraid that these Predacons we were seeing could be tearing us apart within cycles. As we proceeded with drawn arms, I noticed a lone figure standing at a makeshift terminal: Shockwave. At first he didn't notice us, but that advantage lasted all of 1 Nano-Klik. As soon as he noticed us, Shockwave began to shoot at us with his arm cannon, missing us.

**Starscream's POV**

"Starscream," Shockwave said, "The Autobots have arrived. You did not inform me that your plan was already in motion."

"Only so the whole affair would appear less … staged," I replied.

"I haven't been able to purge my lab of sensitive materials."

"Then don't let me keep you from your work," I replied. "Over and out."

[You scrapped him on purpose,] Knock Out wrote with a smile on his face. He was right. Indeed, I hoped to scrap the beast, and his creator with him.

**Shockwave's POV**

"Soundwave, I require a groundbridge," I said. As the green vortex appeared nearby, I quickly typed a command into my computer, triggering the containment cells to dump their liquid contents. I made my escape while the Autobots stared at the cells.

**Starscream's POV, aboard the **_**Nemesis**_

I ran through the halls, eager to find Lord Megatron. I soon found him striding the halls alongside Predaking. "Lord Megatron," I said, remembering to sound desperate, but not too desperate, "it would seem that Project Predacon has fallen into Autobot hands."

"What?! How is this possible?" Predaking growled.

"Starscream," Megatron ordered, "Assemble your Seeker Armada."

"At once, my liege."

"No," Predaking interrupted as I was running off. "If my brethren are imperiled, I will go and confront the enemy myself."

**Ultra Magnus' POV**

All around us, the Predaclones were waking up, ready to eviscerate us.

"Permission to detonate a grenade in a confined space, sir," Wheeljack said.

"If you and I are all that stand between these monsters and this planet's natives, then by all means," I replied, "detonate the grenade."

"One way trip back to the Rust Age it is," Wheeljack said as he threw the grenade with a smile on his face. Switching to vehicle mode, we drove out of the cave. Eager to escape the shockwave from the explosion, we drove, until we were stopped by the appearance of a Groundbridge in front of us. A lone Decepticon walked out of the Bridge before it vanished. "Who's this guy?" Wheeljack asked.

"The same who let you live once, but will not make the same mistake again," the Con replied. I noticed that just below his chin was an insignia, one that was oddly familiar.

"He's the Predacon!"

Just then, the grenade exploded, filling the cavern with a fiery wave that would've incinerated a human. Thankfully, Smokescreen and Bulkhead had exited the caves a few kliks before. As we pulled ourselves from the rocks knocked loose by the explosion, the Predacon yelled at us, "What have you done to my brethren?! **WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!**" The enraged Predaking rushed at us, jumping into the air. We barely managed to jump to the side before he crashed into the ground, slamming his fists where we had been standing. He gained the initial upper hand slamming me into a stalactite, and slamming Wheeljack into the nearby cave wall. "Well, then," Wheeljack said as he pulled himself out of the wall, "let's dance!" He jumped upward, dodging Predaking's strikes, and then pushed off of a rock sticking out of the wall, body-slamming Predaking, and then jumping to the side. He dashed in to give a devastating uppercut, and attempted to slash with his katanas, but he was smashed aside before he could deliver the strike. However, before the Predacon could exploit his opportunity, I slammed him in the face with the powerless Forge of Solus Prime. _(Solus, I hope you can forgive me,)_ I thought as I began using it to slam Predaking in the face while Wheeljack attacked his back. Despite our combos, we were unable to subdue Predaking. Suddenly, Wheeljack began firing over Predaking's head, at the cave ceiling. Realizing what he was doing, I started firing at the same area as Wheeljack, bringing a massive stalactite downward, right for Predaking. The chunk of rock hit its mark, driving Predaking into the ground.

"Well, looks like that's all she wrote," Wheeljack said, wiping the dirt off his servos. Suddenly, the rock moved. Predaking jumped out from under the rock, and then used the rock to crush Wheeljack. He then jumped into the air, forcing me to my knees, and crushing my right servo under his massive foot. He stomped twice more. I had felt great pain fighting against Megatron in his Darkmount citadel [1], but this was far more painful. My wrist felt like it was being chewed apart by Scraplets.

"And here I was beginning to like you," Wheeljack chuckled, trying to sound nonchalant through his pain.

"It was an honor … serving beside you, soldier," I replied, satisfied that I had done all I could. Predaking walked over to the Forge, which lay in the middle of the cave. "By shattering this artifact," he said, hefting the hammer over his head, "I shatter your strength."

"Incorrect," a voice whispered from the shadows.

"Who's there?!" Predaking shouted as he looked around the room. "Show yourself. NOW!"

"Oh, no, my reptilian friend," the voice whispered again. "I will not appear for now." Suddenly, a black figure dashed from a small hole in the cave wall, snatched the Forge out of Predaking's servos, and then disappeared into the shadows once more. "That doesn't mean I won't help the Autobots."

"Prepare to perish," Predaking snarled as he turned toward the figure. Before he could, however, he was body slammed by Optimus Prime, who threw him to the ground, and fired at the cave ceiling, causing an avalanche of rocks to cover Predaking. The distraction complete, Optimus grabbed Wheeljack and I, and flew out of the cavern, Predaking following us. As soon as we cleared the cavern, Predaking assumed his beast forme and flew toward us.

Suddenly, I saw what looked like a human Stealth Bomber flying behind the Predacon. Quickly overtaking us, the bomber flew down toward Predaking, unleashing a load of bombs that exploded in Predaking's face. Distracted and blinded, the Predacon fired at us, but missed as we flew through the Groundbridge that appeared in front of us. I powered down, unable to bear the pain of my injuries. When I opened my eyes, I saw my commander, Optimus Prime, staring at me with concern on his face. That's what I admired about him: He cared about his soldiers, as a good commander was. I lifted my right servo to my face, and noticed that the fingers had been ground off.

"Ratchet will take good care of you, old friend," Optimus said, putting me at ease.

**Aboard the **_**Nemesis**_**, Megatron's POV**

"Do not fret," I said to Predaking. "I assure you, the Autobots will pay for their treachery against your kind. Shockwave, report."

"It is true, my liege," my chief scientist said. "Project Predacon has been terminated. At least I have been unable to recover any Beast formes. However there is something you must see for yourself."

**Shockwave's former laboratory, Starscream's POV**

As soon as Lord Megatron and I exited the Groundbridge, we were greeted by a strange sight. "What the frag is that?" I asked.

"Pure Cybertronian cybermatter," Shockwave replied. "Not unlike that which was once present on primordial Cybertron."

"And that which composed my citadel," Megatron added. "Result of the explosion?"

"Indeed," Shockwave replied, "but the Cyber Nucleic Acid alone cannot account for this form. All observations point to an unexpected variable: Synthetic Energon."

**Autobot Outpost Omega Two, Ninjusk's POV**

Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack had been injured by the beast Decepticon, but Magnus had lost his right servo. "I can live with a lost servo," Magnus assured everyone, "but was that Stealth Jet you, Ninjusk?"

"Yes," I admitted. "It was me."

"Why did you come to the lab and not help us out?" Wheeljack asked.

"You were not in any danger until the beast Con subdued you," I replied. "At that point, I jumped into battle to ensure you would not fall by his claws, and that the Forge," which was standing beside me, "would not fall to that vile Con. I assure you, he will fall."

"What convinced you to come back?" Wheeljack asked.

I fell silent, thinking about earlier …

_Begin flashback (3__rd__ person POV)_

"_Ninjusk …" a voice whispered. Ninjusk looked around, but saw only desert. He recognized the voice that had spoken, one that he hadn't heard for millions of years._

"_Elita?"_

"_I'm glad you have not lost the memory of my voice, Ninjusk," Elita said as she faded into visibility, "but you have lost the memory of yourself."_

"_I am an assassin," Ninjusk replied softly. "That's who I am."_

"_I know," Elita sadly admitted, "but you've gotten so cold, it chills me here in the Allspark. You have lost yourself, Ninjusk."_

"_But I haven't," Ninjusk insisted. "I still remember who I am. My memories are intact."_

"_That they are," Elita replied, "but you aren't the mech I fell in love with. The mech I Sparkbonded with, the mech whose Sparkling I carried to birth, was a mech who wasn't so cold toward everyone he met. You've changed, Ninjusk, and I don't like the change."_

"_You know it'll be hard for me to change back to the mech I once was," Ninjusk whispered in reply. "How do I do that?"_

"_You must do that on your own, sweetie," Elita replied in a soothing tone, "but you should return to the Autobots, for starters. I know you're not one for groups, but you once admitted yourself: 'There is strength in numbers, Elita.'"_

_Ninjusk nodded, knowing he could not evade his former Sparkmate's logic. "You always knew how to convince me, sweetheart," he admitted. "But you can't deter me from destroying the Decepticons."_

"_Strike them down," Elita agreed, "especially that brother of yours."_

"_Agreed," Ninjusk replied. He turned back into a motorcycle, and drove back to the Autobot base._

Exit flashback

**Arcee's POV**

"I … would rather not say," Ninjusk replied, turning away from the other Bots. With a sigh, he drove out of the base. I knew he was going toward the former Autobot base, a quiet, abandoned place where he went to gather his thoughts. I decided to take Jack along with me. As we closed in, Ninjusk sped off the road, probably to lose us. "Where is he going?" Jack asked.

"The old base," I replied.

"Why?" he asked. "What's there?"

"He'll answer when we get there."

Jack knew of Arcee's feelings for Ninjusk, but also knew that he didn't return them. "Are you sure he'll tell you?" Jack asked.

"I'm sure he'll tell me," I replied, trying to sound confident.

"Okay," Jack said, sounding unconvinced. After a few minutes, we came to a ramp of boulders that led to the former roof of the original base. I resumed my normal forme, knowing I wouldn't be able to drive up the slope as a motorcycle.

"Wait here," I ordered.

"No," Ninjusk said, coming out of the shadows right behind me, causing me to jump in surprise, and Jack to gasp loudly while doing the same. "It's time your human partner knew what happened in my past."

"Are—are you certain?" I asked.

Suddenly, Ninjusk smiled. "What's this?" he chuckled. "The mighty Arcee and Jack, spooked by a lone Autobot?"

"You're … no mere Autobot," Jack noted, almost stuttering in his nervousness.

"You are right," Ninjusk admitted with a nod. "I AM no mere Autobot." He sighed, and said, "What I am about to tell you should remain private…"

**[1] Please see the Transformers Prime episode Rebellion for further details.**

_**Thank you for reading Rise Of A Dragon In The Skin Of A Knight Part 2. Question is, who is the dragon, and who says that there can only be one dragon rising? Please read and review. Until the next, I hope we meet again ….**_


	7. When The Mask Falls

_**Hello, readers. Now, where did we leave off? Oh, yes. Ninjusk was admitting to Jack Darby that he was no mere Autobot. Question is, who IS Ninjusk, then? And who is this brother of his that Elita mentioned in the previous chapter? Many questions have been asked, and many shall be answered, but you have to read in order to find out. I don't own Transformers Prime, only Ninjusk Noir.**_

**Chapter 7: When The Mask Falls, Mysteries Arise**

**Jack's POV**

"Wuh—wow, man," I said, stunned. "I—I didn't know that you had a wife—I mean, Sparkmate."

"The concepts are the same," Ninjusk replied, "but have different names."

"So, what was she like?" I asked.

Ninjusk turned away, looking toward the pile of rocks showing where Cliffjumper lay. He was silent for so long, but then, I heard something I had never thought I would hear: Ninjusk was crying. "She … was nothing like me," he muttered. "I was a dark assassin who preferred to not to socialize with anyone; Elita was a ray of sunshine that lit everything she saw, including me." He turned to me, fluid leaking from his eyes, and continued, "She was able to do something no other femme had done: she gained entrance to my emotional Spark, and that is not as easy as it sounds."

"_Why am I not surprised?_" Arcee muttered under her breath.

"How did you two meet?" I asked, the words slipping out of my mouth by fault. I half expected him to tell me off for asking so deep an important moment in his life.

Instead, he turned back to me with a scowl on his face. However, the expression became less, need I say, terrifying, and he gave a sigh. "It was so long ago, but I still remember it like it was two cycles ago. However, I have no intention of telling you. It's a memory of mine that I'd rather soon wish to forget for the better."

I honestly didn't expect him to open up that much so soon, given what I've [mostly] seen and heard of him. But I knew that it felt pointless to try and convince him to tell me a large moment of his life, especially if it connected to a large and devastating trauma. I looked at Arcee, who was giving me a look that said 'it's best not to pester Ninjusk like this anymore'. I nodded and turned back to Ninjusk.

"I—I'm sorry, Ninjusk," I said. "I understand that it's very hard to open up to a bad memory."

Ninjusk's fists clenched hard when I talked. This was obviously upsetting him. "Bad memory?" He said with a scoff. "That is a vast understatement, human." He put one of his servos to his face in anguish. "And I would very much prefer that you don't speak about it any further."

"R—Right," was my only response, while holding my hands up. "I'm done. See? My lips are sealed." I motioned my thumb and finger across my mouth, indicating a zipper over my lips.

"Thank you, Jack," he replied. "There is one other who you may tell about my past: Optimus Prime."

"Optimus?!" I exclaimed, astonished. I didn't know you tru-"

"Just because I'm an assassin doesn't mean I trust no one," Ninjusk interrupted. "I just trust few Bots, Optimus among them."

**[TIME SKIP]**

**No POV**

Jack wasn't sure exactly what to say to Optimus, since it seemed like it was possibly going to be a complicated story. Finally, the teenager gathered up his words. He walked over to the Prime, carefully standing clear of the rock dust that the leader began to brush off, amassed from his supposedly-futile expedition.

"Sir—uh, Optimus?" Jack blurted out unexpectedly.

The Prime looked down at the human. "It there something you need, Jack?" He asked firmly but softly.

Jack already forgot what he need to request, but after a short second, he recalled it. "Optimus… …Earlier, I had asked Ninjusk about his past, but he specifically told me to ask you about it."

The Prime had paused momentarily upon hearing this. Still, he responded. "I see. As you can undoubtedly tell from his behavior, Ninjusk is not very comfortable speaking about his own history. They are—distressing, to say the least."

"I assumed that," Jack pointed out. "But you'll tell me all about him, right, Optimus?"

Another pause. But just like the previous one, it came with a quick reply. "Of course, Jack. However, I suggest that we transfer over to a different structure, as Ninjusk would rather much prefer his past to be kept undisclosed just between the two of us for now."

"Understood," Jack answered. He watched the giant mech walk straight back to the hangar entry, the human following not far behind. When they reached the outside, Jack suddenly stopped and cautiously observed the room behind him. He soon realized that Optimus was waiting patiently for him. Jack quickly caught back up. When he did, the Prime looked back down at the curious youth and gestured to the left direction.

"This way," he said along with the gesture. Jack nodded and walked toward the path to Structure F. Hopefully, Ninjusk wasn't waiting there either.

**Jack's POV**

Once we entered the building, I heard the door close. "Ninjusk trusted few people in the war," Optimus began, beginning to gaze into space. (Can a Transformer space out?) I wondered.

"Are you okay, Jack?" Optimus asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I'm okay," I replied. "I was just lost in thought."

Optimus chuckled softly, and said, "I was lost in my own thoughts, also." He chuckled a little more, then continued, "Ninjusk's story is a … sensitive topic. Most soldiers don't enjoy talking about their darkest experiences, and Ninjusk is no exception."

"I pretty much guessed that from his habit of telling nothing" I replied. "Um, sorry if that was a bit rude," I added.

"That is alright," Optimus replied. "Ninjusk never liked to divulge any information about his past, most likely due to his dangerous occupation as an assassin. Assassins were hated and feared, and for that reason, they were prone to being hunted down, and killed."

"W-wow. I-I didn't know that," I replied. I suddenly had a moment of realization. "That's why Ninjusk has told only me and Arcee about his past."

"You are correct, Jack. Ninjusk trusts few others because that is what he is used to doing. However, during the height of the war for Cybertron, Ninjusk came to me and explained that he didn't expect to live very long."

"He knew what?" I asked, stunned.

"Ninjusk was the most proficient assassin ever in the war for Cybertron. No one ever saw him except for fellow Autobots. To walk to me in plain sight, as you humans say, threw me for a loop. I asked him what was wrong, and he asked me to keep secret the information he was about to tell me. He asked that I swear on the Spark of Primus that I keep it secret _until_ I found someone worthy of knowing it. Therefore, I have his permission to share his deep past, because deep within my Spark, I believe you, Jack, are worthy of this knowledge."

"I—I don't know what to say."

"Nor did I, Jack, when he told me. I assume he told you about his beloved, Elita?"

"Yes, sir," I replied. "He seemed really sad about her death."

"That in itself is not strange to me. Ninjusk said that after his relationship with the Decepticon Airachnid, he had lost all faith in ever finding a Sparkmate."

"Just like Arcee when she lost Cliffjumper." I clapped my hands over my mouth, trying to make sure I didn't say anything else embarrassing.

"Do not worry, Jack," Optimus said in a reassuring voice. "Arcee told me that she had no anticipation of finding any Bot to love after Cliffjumper was lost to us. Now, it appears that her hope has been reawakened once again."

"By Ninjusk, right?"

"You are correct, Jack. I assume that Arcee told you of her feelings for Ninjusk?"

"I … would rather not answer that question, Optimus," I replied. I had promised Arcee that I would tell no one about her affections for Ninjusk.

"You do not need to tell me, Jack. Arcee already told me of her feelings for Ninjusk after he fled the base."

"So, uh, what else did Ninjusk tell you back on Cybertron?" I asked.

"He told me of the fall of Elita and Genos. Jack, Elita was like a sister to me. To hear of her death, to say the least, wounded me terribly."

"So, do you already kn-know who killed her?"

"Yes, Jack," Optimus sighed, sadly. "Starscream sent her to become one with the Allspark. While I know that Ninjusk wishes to terminate Starscream for what he did, I disagree with him. Revenge is not the Autobot way."

"You are right, Optimus, sir," Ninjusk said, walking into the light, startling me, and surprising Optimus. "I know revenge is not the Autobot way, but our old ways have done nothing but thin our ranks while the Deceptions continue to increase despite their continuous failures which often cost them half their fleet. I am sorry, sir, but I cannot stand by the sidelines with the team while the Cons muster their strength so they may, as the humans say, 'pound us into paste.'"

"Ninjusk, I will not give you permission to go out and attack the Cons needlessly. I forbid it," Optimus replied sternly. I had never seen him this displeased. _Ever_. Then again, I couldn't think of any of the Bots who approved of Ninjusk's vendetta against Starscream and his allies. Even Arcee didn't approve.

**Ninjusk's POV**

"I … am deeply sorry to disobey you, Optimus," I said, bowing in respect to the Prime, "but you must know that I cannot rest until Starscream's shattered helm lays at my feet. You also know that you cannot order me to stand down. As a Pseudo-Prime, I wield the same power as you do."

"But you do not wield the same authority," Optimus replied, his voice rising. This startled me slightly, though I managed to hide it. Optimus never raised his voice to anyone in anger, but I knew I was pushing his buttons (_These humans and their sayings_), so I decided to leave before I pushed my mentor further.

"Optimus, please tell Arcee to not pursue me. To do so would mean her ruin at the hands of the Decepticons, and that is an outcome I would rather avoid." Before anyone could respond, I shifted to motorcycle mode and drove away.

**Jack's POV**

I couldn't believe what I had just seen and heard. No one ignored Optimus Prime's orders, not even Wheeljack. "Optimus, sir, i—if you don't mind me asking, what is a Pseudo-Prime?"

Optimus didn't reply for a moment, staring out the window in the direction in which Ninjusk had fled. Eventually he replied. "A Pseudo-Prime is a very rare kind of Cybertronian. They have the same power as Primes, but are not known to have any method of making another of my kind a Pseudo-Prime."

"So, you have to be born one in order to be one, right?" I asked, wishing to make sure I had understood things right.

"Correct, Jack. The factors for being born a Pseudo-Prime are not known, but it is clear that genetics is a factor."

"You're saying that it runs in the family, right?"

"That is correct," Optimus replied. "Ninjusk comes from a long line of Pseudo-Primes." He sighed deeply, and said, "Being a Pseudo-Prime is not a guarantee. Thankfully, Starscream is not a Pseudo-Prime, himself."

I was shocked. "Wait. So, Starscream is Ninjusk's brother?"

"Yes, Jack. Of all the facts I have told you, the fact you correctly guessed must be kept secret. At present, the others do not trust Ninjusk. If they were to learn of Ninjusk's and Starscream's shared parentage, they would trust him far less, and possibly severely wound his pride by implying that he is a Decepticon."

"Such an accusation would be a heavy insult to Ninjusk's pride, right?"

"Yes, Jack. It would be unbearably heavy, and I do not wish Ninjusk to fear such allegations. Therefore, I must ask you to keep this information secret. If anyone is to reveal it, it's Ninjusk." He paused for a moment, and asked, "Does Arcee know of Ninjusk's parentage?"

"No, she doesn't. At least, she never told me," I admitted.

Optimus nodded, understanding what I meant, and replied, "In any case, it would be wise to not bring up the topic. If she asks about Ninjusk's relationship with Starscream, please tell her that you would rather not say anything. She'll know that you mean that such a piece of information is rather sensitive."

**Former Autobot Base, Arcee's POV**

"You're what?!"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Ninjusk growled in frustration. "Did you even hear what I said?"

"Yes," I replied. "Tell me you're joking, that you're not the brother of Starscream."

"I never joke," Ninjusk flatly replied. "You of all the other Autobots should know that."

"I just … can't believe it. The Bot I love is the brother of the one who destroyed Cliffjumper."

Ninjusk turned away, and looked into the sky, as if remembering something. "I spoke to Optimus Prime, earlier. He actually sounded a little angry when he forbade me permission to fulfill my vendetta against the Decepticons."

"You know I don't approve, either," I replied, hoping to steer him off this path of vengeance. I had walked a similar path, and it almost cost me my life.

He chuckled coldly, and said, "Well, you might not approve of this, either." He turned, and smashed his cold lips against mine. I barely managed to stay upright, but wouldn't have noticed if I had. I was stunned. The Bot who had been unwilling to do so much as hold my servo was kissing me on the lips!

"I am sorry," Ninjusk said as he pulled away.

"What d—do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"I admit that I care deeply for you, Arcee," he replied, "but I cannot swerve from this path of vengeance. No one can stop me, not unless they tear out my very Spark." He looked me in the optics, and added, "If you care for me at all, you will not follow me. The path of vengeance may have nearly terminated you, but it won't terminate me. I'm strong enough."

"No, you're not," I interrupted. "No one can walk the path of vengeance without losing yourself. I almost lost myself after Tailgate died, and a second time after Cliffjumper fell, both because I walked the path of vengeance. It will kill you, Ninjusk. How can you not see that?!" I asked him. "Would Bulkhead approve? Or Ratchet? I know Elita wouldn't approve." I saw his face turn into a mask of cold fury.

"If you won't approve of my mission, you'd better stay out of my way," he snarled as he jumped into the air, turning into a Cybertronian Stealth Jet, and fading out of visibility.

"Come back here, Ninjusk! Do you hear me?! **NINJUSK!"** I yelled angrily. The only reply was the echo of my angry voice bouncing back to me from the desert floor. I was virtually shaking with rage. First, Ninjusk kissed me, and then he cast me aside, as if his mission was bigger than whatever feeling he may have had for me. "You are in such deep sludge when you come back, Ninjusk," I muttered, gouging the rock at my feet. Then, a thought came to me. _(He kissed me. He … kissed me.)_ The thought ran through my head incessantly, more annoying than Knock Out's voice before Ninjusk so kindly disconnected it. Ninjusk wouldn't have kissed me if he hadn't had some kind of affection for me. _(That's why he told me not to follow him,) _I thought. _(He knows his path is treacherous, and doesn't want me to die on it.)_

Suddenly, a message from my ear communicator disrupted my thoughts. It was Ratchet. "Arcee, do you read?"

"I got ya, Ratchet. What's up?"

"We captured Soundwave, but Laserbeak is still out there. I'm gonna groundbridge you back to base, just to be safe. We can't have the Decepticons finding the new location of our new base." There was a brief moment of silence. "Is Ninjusk with you?" Ratchet eventually asked.

"No, he isn't," I sighed. "Why do you ask?"

"Optimus wanted to see him back at base, immediately. He also wants to see you back at base."

"Okay," I replied, dreading the slow, patient questions Optimus would ask. I turned to my right as the groundbridge appeared. I drove through it, hoping they wouldn't ask about Ninjusk's brothers. I knew they would be accepting of the fact that Cliffjumper was Ninjusk's brother, but Starscream being Ninjusk's brother… _(They'd never accept him after that…)_

_**Phew! That's some heavy stuff, right there. Right. Time for giving credit where it's due. I would like to thank DreamMaster08x, a fellow Transformers/Beast Wars fanfic writer. He actually helped write a portion of this chapter. Thanks for bailing me out when I was drowning in writer's block, bro! Well, that was a shocker, Starscream being Ninjusk's brother. Yes, I know Starscream and Cliffjumper aren't brothers in the cartoons, but I thought I'd make them brothers to help accentuate Starscream's ruthlessness. Here's a brief explanation: Ninjusk and Starscream were borne by one carrier, while Cliffjumper was borne by another carrier. So, Ninjusk is Cliffjumper's half-brother, and same between Starscream and Cliffjumper. Okay? That good? Okay. Reviews are welcomed. Flamers and trolls will be handed to Predaking for thorough roasting.**_

_**(Hey, has anyone seen the hot sauce?)**_

_**Upcoming chapter: Chapter 8: A Powerful Line Of Family.**_


	8. A Powerful Line Of Family

_**For all intents and purposes, this is a filler chapter, a genealogy of Ninjusk's ancestry, from Primus on down. I do not own Transformers Prime.**_

_**Chapter 8: A Powerful Line Of Family.**_

Primus, the creator of Vector Prime.

Vector Prime, the father of Cilenos.

Cilenos, the father of Reletrox.

Reletrox, the father of Brutronus.

Brutronus, the father of Toh'Krunan, the first Cybertronian to fly.

Toh'Krunan, the father of Seleptron, known for his telekinetic powers.

Seleptron, the father of Bullet, confirmed to be faster than Sonic the Hedgehog.

Bullet, the father of Silivore.

Silivore, the father of Red Fang, who was bitten by a mutant Scraplet.

Red Fang, the father of Zulunus, the first Pseudo-Prime.

Zulunus, the father of Serekos.

Serekos, the father of Zalin.

Zalin, the father of Millistron, member of the Seekers.

Millistron, the father of Zanoklon.

Zanoklon, the father of Sam Noir, and

Sam Noir, the father of Ninjusk Noir and Starscream (carrier: Solena Skyflyer) and Cliffjumper (carrier: Meletona).

_**That's the family line of Ninjusk Noir, all the way from Primus himself. Phew! Two chapters in 1 day. I worked up a sweat. Note: I snuck the name of a Ben 10 alien in there. Corrupted, of course, but it's there. If you think you find it, say it in a review. (Not you, DreamMaster08x. Sorry, bro, but you already know.) Ha, ha. Rhyme. If you have any ideas for what I should do for the next chapter, tell it in a review or PM me. Reviews are appreciated.**_

_**Oh, there's the hot sauce. Flamers, beware.**_


	9. A Figure From The Past

_**I hope you all enjoyed the genealogy chapter. Now, it's time to return to the main story line. There will be heavy Cybertronian cursing in this chapter, as well as some Starscream bashing. If you don't like it, don't read it. Flames will be removed.**_

**Chapter 9: A Figure From The Past May Change The Future**

_(Thoughts)_

"_Members of the Allspark talking"_

**Ninjusk's POV**

I flew silently through the air in my Stealth Jet forme, completely invisible to human, machine, and Cybertronian eyes. (Why did I go and tell Arcee my plans?) I thought to myself. _(And how is it that she was able to get it from me without so much as a threat of torture?)_

_(Ninjusk,__** STOP!)**_

I landed in the shadow of a mesa, scanning for any life-forms. I knew who had spoken to me, but old habits die hard. "Elita?" I whispered. Elita appeared before me, a deep frown accenting the lines on her normally happy face. It was once said that those lines in her face were from smiling a lot. Considering that I had only ever seen her smile, I could believe it.

"_Why, Ninjusk?"_

"Why what, Elita?"

The femme sighed in exasperation, and said, _"You already know. Why do you insist on staying on this path of vengeance? You know Arcee is right. Your teammates don't approve of your vendetta against the Decepticons. "_

"They are not my teammates," I said, "and I am sorry, but you can't stop me, Elita."

"_I know,"_ Elita sighed, _"but why do you have to be so fraggingly stubborn?"_

I was startled by this. Only twice before had Elita cursed: once when Starscream had said some choice words about her carrier when he broke up with her, and once when Cliffjumper had tried to console her about her loss, and she had called Starscream a real mother-fragger, a remark that made the kind-hearted red Autobot wince. "I cannot let Starscream get away with killing you, or Genos. If the Decepticons get in my way, I cannot let them stand."

"_I don't like Starscream, either,"_ Elita said, _"but Arcee is right. This path of vengeance will only lead to your own destruction."_ She seemed tired, as if the argument was draining her. _"I'm not getting through to you by myself, so I think I'll call someone else you know."_

Suddenly, Cliffjumper appeared behind her, a frown on his face. Genos stood in front of them both. It pained me to see my son, almost a mech, as a spirit. He was my own cybermatter and Energon, and I had failed to protect him from the attacks of his Seeker uncle. _"You can't do this, Ninjusk,"_ Cliffjumper said, staring into my optics. _"I've lost Bots close to me in the past, but I never let my grief consume me to the point of alienating all others."_

"You're you, brother," I replied, "and I am another Bot entirely."

"_Nevertheless,"_ Cliffjumper countered, _"I was faced with the same choices as you: let my grief blind me to friendship and love, or honor the legacy of my fallen comrades, and the legacy of my own Sparkmate, who perished at the hands of Megatron."_

"_Please listen to us,"_ Genos begged.

"I … don't know if I can, my son," I admitted. "I've lived so long on the run that I've forgotten all but my path. If it leads to my end, so be it. You'll see me in the Allspark that much quicker."

"_That's not the point,"_ Genos said, interrupting me. _"We agree that Starscream must fall. Of all the Decepticons, he is the least trustworthy."_

"_He honors no alliances,"_ Cliffjumper added gravely, _"and will turn his allies in or slag them to save his Spark. Megatron, on the other servo, if he made a deal with someone, even if it was with his most hated enemy, Optimus Prime, he would honor that deal. Any promise he made, he would take steps to ensure that it would be carried out." _He chuckled slightly, and said,_ "In a way, Optimus and Megatron aren't that different. Their respective troops respect them because they've earned that respect. Starscream has earned nothing but death. He broke the trust of—" _He paused, turning to Elita.

"_It's okay,"_ Elita assured him.

Cliffjumper continued. _"Starscream broke Elita's trust by cheating on her with a femme. I think she was Blackarachnia or something like that. He even had the gall to insult Elita's carrier. I don't care who he thinks he is. You don't go and insult another mech's carrier. Ever. He knew Genos was unable to defend himself, and still struck him down. He is without mercy, and without any chance of recovering the strong, wise, trustworthy mech he originally was. Megatron may have killed without mercy, but his saving grace on the battlefield is that he fought with honor, something Starscream has turned his back on. Do you see what Starscream has turned into: a cold, cruel mech who only cares for himself? Already, you resemble him, brother."_

"I am nothing like my brother," I argued. "I am not a Decepticon."

"_Loyalties to either side of the war don't matter,"_ Elita countered, _"when you have become cold, and detach yourself from all others. Starscream coldly broke my Spark and left me, just as you coldly left Arcee after kissing her."_

"_If you remain on this cold path of vengeance, father,"_ Genos added, tears flowing from his optics, _"you'll be no better than Starscream, and I'll lose you. Please, get off this path while you still can, before you pass the point of no return. Please, father. I beg you."_

If anything got through to me, it was the look of Spark-breaking sadness on my son's face, the words he spoke, and the convictions of my brother Cliffjumper. _(Do I have to destroy all Decepticons because of what one did?) _I thought. For the first time in, well, I don't know how long, I felt … confused, and unsure of myself. "Very well," I sighed, finding myself unable to resist them any longer. "I propose a compromise," I said, looking my brother, Sparkmate, and Sparkling in the optics.

"_We're listening, bro,"_ Cliffjumper said, speaking for them.

"I must terminate Starscream, for personal reasons. All other Decepticons, I will fight as an assassin, serving under the command of Optimus Prime. I now see that all I have to do to drive off this road of vengeance is to terminate Starscream, but with Arcee as an ally."

"_Will you return to her?"_ Elita asked.

"Yes," I replied, feeling resolution flow through my systems. "I will return to her, but …"

"_It's okay,"_ Elita assured me, grabbing my servo in both of hers_. "You are no longer bound to me. I want you to be happy, my little Ninja." _She giggled slightly at the blush on my faceplate from the nickname, and continued, _"Open up to her as you see fit."_

I sighed in relief, and asked, "Is this compromise satisfactory?"

Cliffjumper nodded, a smile back on his faceplate, and said, _"Since you're still as stubborn as ever, I'll accept it. I can't speak for Elita and Genos, though."_

Elita smiled, and said, _"I approve of it, also."_

Genos walked up to me, and grabbed me in a crushing hug. _ "Thank you, father. You don't know what this means to me."_

"_Thanks for thawing out a bit, bro,"_ Cliffjumper said. _"I feel at peace now. I no longer have to fear you becoming Starscream."_

"_He should keep the wings, though,"_ Elita said, chuckling. _"It wouldn't be him if he lost the wings."_

I was relieved. _"Now, don't you have a base to return to, soldier?" _Cliffjumper asked in mock severity, attempting to imitate Ultra Magnus.

"Yessir," I replied with as much sarcasm as I could muster.

Cliffjumper held his serious stance for a few nano-kliks, and then burst out laughing. _"I can't imitate Ultra Magnus very well."_

Chuckling slightly, I turned into a motorcycle, and drove off in the direction of the Autobot base, protected from view by the darkening night. Soon after I arrived, I knew something was wrong. The cluster of buildings circling the base were quiet, but the quiet was quickly shattered by the sound of glass shattering in Building E. A human wouldn't have heard the glass, but I knew from experience that seemingly innocent sounds could have more sinister meanings altogether. I entered Building E just in time to see a Groundbridge close. Somehow, I knew that it was a Decepticon Groundbridge. Looking around, I saw Smokescreen and Bulkhead on the floor, the portly human named Agent Fowler nearby. Bulkhead groaned as he sat up. Suddenly, a message came in from wherever the others had gone. "Ratchet, are you there?" It was Arcee. "We need a Groundbridge."

Groaning, Bulkhead rose to his feet, and said, "Arcee, Ratchet's … gone."

I emerged from the shadows, surprising the Wrecker, and also startling Smokescreen, possibly the Bot most nervous around me. "I'll open a Groundbridge immediately," I said, standing near the Groundbridge equipment.

"Ninjusk?!" Arcee exclaimed. I could hear the barely contained joy in her voice.

"Come on over, and see for yourself," I replied as I typed away on the computer keyboard. A Groundbridge appeared nearby, and the other Autobots walked through into the base. Optimus regarded me with a slightly angry look, but I knew he was glad to see me at the base. Arcee walked over to me, and slapped me in the face.

"That's for leaving me after you kissed me," she said.

"I know," I sighed, "and I apologize for that."

"Apologize?" Arcee said. "Are you really Ninjusk? The Ninjusk I know would not apologize."

"Perhaps not," Optimus said, "but the Ninjusk I knew was an honest soldier. If you were to look him in the optics, you could see the trustworthiness there."

**Arcee's POV**

Optimus told me that when he knew Ninjusk, trustworthiness could be seen in his optics. Wishing to find out for myself, I stared into his optics, and he stared back. I was astonished by what I saw. His gaze was warmer than the last time I saw it, and in it, I saw trust, compassion, and trustworthiness. Those were things I never expected to see in his optics. "What's wrong?" he eventually asked. "Do I have something in my optics?" I rolled my own optics, and replied, "You do have something in your optics. I like it." He looked over at the others, sighed, and said, "It's about time I told you all the truth."

_**Darkest Nightmare's Dread: Hope you enjoyed that chapter. I sure enjoyed typing it out. Now, for the acknowledgements, as I cannot claim all the credit for this piece. As always, a thank you to DreamMaster08x for being there to listen to all my insane ranting, which makes me wonder: is there such a thing as out-sane ranting? The world wonders, but enough of that. A thank you to NoNameX for helping point out words I forgot to put through the Cyberforming (Yes, that is a word.) process. Also, I agree with NoNameX. Ninjusk needed that slap that Arcee so willingly gave. Who agrees?**_

_**(Counts raised servos). Okay. There's Smokescreen, Optimus Prime (harsh, man), Ultra Magnus (why you, too?), Bulkhead, Arcee, Ninjusk Noir, Bumblebee, Starscream. STARSCREAM?! How the frag did YOU get here?**_

_**Starscream: That is none of your concern, author.**_

_**Darkest Nightmare's Dread: Well, since you're here, make yourself useful and give the disclaimer.**_

_**Starscream: Darkest Nightmare's Dread does not own Transformers Prime. There. I SAID IT! Now can I leave?!**_

_**Darkest Nightmare's Dread: Yes, you may leave. Be on time for the next chapter, Bots and Cons. As for you, reader, do not worry. I'm already working on the next chapter. Read and review.**_


	10. A Kidnapping And A Shifting Alliance

_**This chapter has some elements of the episode "Persuasion", and is mostly based off the episode "Synthesis". Haven't seen them? Please watch them before reading the chapter. As always, reviews are welcome.**_

**Chapter 10: A Kidnapping And A Shifting Alliance**

**Aboard the **_**Nemesis**_**, Ratchet's POV**

When I opened my optics, I experienced a brief moment of panic. _(Where am I? How did I get here?) _Just as suddenly as I had come out of power down, the memories came flooding back. Optimus had shot down Soundwave, and when the Senior Decepticon came to, we began to interrogate him. All we had gotten him was along the lines of "Kiss my aft". After that, he purposefully crashed his hard drives so we couldn't read them. Soon after, we had received an alert concerning Decepticon activity in Antarctica. Optimus took Arcee, Bumblebee, and Wheeljack, leaving Bulkhead, Smokescreen, and myself to guard the prisoner. That's when it all fell in. Laserbeak had found our base, and proceeded to free his master. That was the last thing I remembered before I woke up in … wherever I was. I tried to move my arms, but found they were cuffed to the piece of metal I was laying on. My servos were similarly immobilized. Scrap. There was a computer in the room, but it wasn't like I could do anything with it.

"Is the doctor awake?" a familiar voice asked. Megatron. Scrap. I was on the _Nemesis_ for sure.

"Indeed he is, Lord Megatron," another voice, likely Shockwave's, said. The door opened, revealing Megatron and Shockwave.

"Comfortable, doctor?" Megatron asked.

I rolled my optics, scoffed, and replied, "Like you would care."

"Your assumption is most logical," Shockwave replied as the end of a Cortical Psychic Patch moved closer to my face, until everything went dark.

**Megatron's POV**

"What did you see?" I asked my chief scientist as he unclipped the Patch from the Autobot medic's head.

"His memory only confirmed what we already knew: that the Synthetic Energon is incomplete, and that this incompleteness is the reason for its instability."

"Indeed…"

**Ratchet's POV**

"You're crazy, Megatron," I said. "There is no way in heck that I will assist you."

"Oh, really, doctor?" Megatron asked me. "You wish to see Cybertron restored, do you not?"

"Well, o—of course," I admitted. "I assume that you wish to see it restored so you can simply reconquer it."

"Of course I do," Megatron admitted. _(At least he's honest; I'll give him that,)_ I thought to myself. "But that changes nothing," the warlord added. "With your help, Cybertron can be revived from the lifeless husk of a world it is at this moment."

"That's madness, Megatron," I immediately replied.

"I will give you a moment to think it over, doctor," Megatron replied, completely unconcerned with my response. He ordered the guards to remove my handcuffs, and they escorted me to a small room to await my fate.

**Megatron's POV**

"You won't give the doctor a chance to 'think it over', will you, my liege?" Starscream asked.

"You are correct, Starscream," I replied. "Assemble your Seeker armada, and crush the Autobot base to the ground."

"As you wish, my liege," Starscream replied.

**Hanger E, Autobot Base Omega-2, Ninjusk's POV**

"Are you certain the Decepticons will attack?" Bulkhead asked.

"It stands to reason that Laserbeak recorded our location, and for that reason, I anticipate that we will soon come under attack," Optimus replied.

I nodded. "I know that not all of you trust me," I replied, "but you need to trust me."

"And why should we?" Wheeljack asked.

"Because I trust him," Arcee said, grabbing my servo in hers, "and you trust me, don't you?" The others looked unsure.

Suddenly, we all heard the faint sound of engines coming: Decepticon engines. "Scrap," I muttered. "There's no time. I must Groundbridge our equipment out of here before the Decepticons pound us into dust."

"Tall, Dark, and Red-Eyed is right," the female named Miko said. "We can eat 'Con laser, or we can trust an Autobot."

The others nodded in agreement. "Are you certain your location is secure?" Ultra Magnus asked as we moved the equipment through my Groundbridge.

"I made sure it was properly shielded before I left it. I haven't visited it since the first time I arrived at this base, so the place might be a tad dusty," I replied.

**5 minutes later**

"Has all the necessary equipment been removed from the base?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"That is correct, Ultra Magnus," Optimus said. "Ninjusk has already downloaded the necessary information onto a computer at his location."

_[We'd better get moving,]_ Bumblebee said. _[The Decepticons are coming in, and Fowler's troops won't be able to hold them back much longer.]_

"Then it's time we left," I said.

Shifting into vehicle mode, we slipped through the Groundbridge. "Where on Earth are we?" Smokescreen asked.

"Autobots, Jack, Miko, Raf and Agent Fowler, welcome to my ship," I said.

"Not as dusty as you said it would be," Miko noted.

"This will be an appropriate base from which to launch our operations," Ultra Magnus said, impressed with the interior.

"Whoa. I'm impressed," Wheeljack said. "You've got knives, guns, other weapons. You're alright, Ninjusk."

"I try," I replied. "As the humans say, pick your poison. Let your weapon choose you."

Arcee grabbed a set of throwing knives, and Ultra Magnus went with the Sniper Rifle I had used to disable Knock Out's voice. Bumblebee selected a short sword, Bulkhead going with a Tox-En coated mace. "Ooh, nice," Wheeljack said, grabbing a set of katanas from the weapon selection.

"Those aren't just katanas, Wheeljack," I replied. "The handles of the katanas hide 1 poisoned knife, each. You chose well. Many mighty Decepticons have fallen to those blades, and I have no doubt they still thirst for Energon."

"Then Primus forbid that I deny these blades what they wish," Wheeljack said. "Like I said, you're alright, Ninjusk."

**Aboard the **_**Nemesis**_**, Knock Out's POV**

"Knock Out, fetch me the Quantum Cyber Measure," Ratchet so kindly ordered. While I had to admit gratitude to the Autobot for restoring my voicebox, being ordered about, definitely NOT what I had signed up for.

"Do I _look_ like hired help, Autobot?" I asked, allowing my irritation to show.

"Knock Out, please see to the needs of our esteemed guest," Shockwave said.

**Ratchet's POV**

"As you command," Knock Out grumbled.

As Knock Out fetched the Measure I needed, Shockwave provided me with a sample of the Cybermatter from the explosion site. "So, we know this to be the result of an atypical molecular displacement reaction."

"Indeed," Shockwave admitted. "Extensive empirical evidence indicates the instability of the Synth-En to be the cause."

"Double-blind analysis?"

"Naturally," Soundwave admitted. "Once the erroneous variable has been dealt with, the stabilized formula will fuse with Cyber Nucleic Acid."

"Creating a stable forme of Cybermatter," I concluded. "Genius."

"And to think, if we had not allowed you to exterminate the beasts, this would not be possible," Knock Out added, interrupting us.

"Let?"

Knock Out corrected himself. "Uh, I mean, those samples you requested aren't going to make themselves."

"There is much to do, doctor," Shockwave said. "Shall we get back to work?"

"Most certainly," I replied. As I worked, I had much on my mind. Not only was I given a boost in eliminating a chemical thorn in my side, I realized that the discovery of the Decepticon offsite Lab was no accident. _(Predaking must be quite powerful to cause such fear in the high ranks of the Decepticons,)_ I thought.

**Aboard the **_**Silent Shadow**_**, Ninjusk's POV**

"Why couldn't we put a GPS on this thing?" Miko asked. Using equipment I had aboard my ship, the _Silent Shadow_, Raf had built a mobile device encasing the piece of Laserbeak's wing that Smokescreen had shot off.

"Way too easy to detect," Wheeljack replied. "Both sides are getting good at rooting out that particular trick. Besides, we don't need a tracker…"

"We have Optimus," Raf finished.

Optimus nodded, and added, "I am but a decoy in this plan." He looked over at me, and added, "Ninjusk, with his stealth tech, will be able to stay within sight of Starscream, and gain access to the Decepticon Warship."

I nodded, and turned to the main monitor. "Rising to sea level. Activating visual cloaking tech. I don't want the Cons taking pictures of my ship. It's bad enough Miko does it." Everyone looked at Miko, who was taking a picture of Ultra Magnus' replacement hand. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," I replied. The tracker device was released, and Optimus flew to follow it. "Ultra Magnus, sir, take the controls." I looked over at Arcee. "Don't worry so much, Arcee," I chided her gently. "I'm the best there is at hacking and tracking."

"I know," Arcee sighed, "but I just don't want to lose you, Ninjusk." She embraced me, tears dripping from her optics.

I nodded, and captured her lips in a deep kiss. Her optics widened in shock, but shut as she allowed herself to enjoy the kiss. "Dude! Get a room!" Miko yelled. She would've said more, but Jack had captured her lips in his own kiss.

_(Many thanks for silencing Miko,)_ I thought, not wanting to interrupt their kiss. When they were done, I transformed into my Stealth Jet mode, and flew into the air, following Optimus Prime.

**Aboard the **_**Nemesis**_**, Ratchet's POV**

"Knock Out, I require a sample of CNA," Shockwave ordered.

Knock Out complied, complaining all the way. "'Knock Out, bring this.' 'Knock Out, get that.' It wasn't that long ago I RAN this lab," he grumbled as he got the sample, knocking over another container as he did so. "Now, I'm everyone's gofer."

I noticed the sample that was sticking out, and asked Knock Out, "Could you get me an Isoprobe, please? I don't see one."

"Of course you don't," Knock Out replied as he went to get the Isoprobe. I grabbed the CNA sample that was sticking out, and hid it in a compartment in my back before Knock Out returned. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Thank you," I replied.

"You're welcome," he sent back.

**Nearing the **_**Nemesis**_**, Ninjusk's POV**

"You're a little quiet," Agent Fowler said from aboard the _Silent Shadow_. "Everything okay up there?"

"Everything is okay, Agent Fowler," Optimus replied. "Ninjusk, I am glad that you have decided to return to our ranks," he said to me.

"It's good to be back," I replied, "though I thought you would be angry with me for leaving."

"I admit, I was displeased with your unauthorized departure," my commander replied, "but considering that you came back willingly, and sincerely apologized for your behavior, I will not hold your actions against you."

I nodded, and said, "I'm picking up some Decepticon activity in front of us. We must be getting close."

A lone Jet flew from the clouds: Starscream. "Optimus Prime?! How dare you continue to live!" my treacherous brother yelled as he fired a missile.

In reply, Optimus pulled his Gatling Gun out of its compartment, and while he fired at Starscream, "Follow the tracker," he ordered me. "Do not engage Starscream."

"Understood," I replied as I followed the tracker. While Optimus was distracted by the Seeker squadron, Starscream tailed the tracking device, and shot it down. Using an onboard keyboard, I sent a message back to base, and to Optimus: [Tracker destroyed. Following Starscream. Awaiting further orders.]

"Ninjusk," Optimus replied, "follow Starscream, and gain access to the Decepticon Warship. Once you have done so, you must locate Ratchet first, and then see if you can disable the cloaking field around the Warship."

[Orders received, and acknowledged,] I typed back. [Reverting to text to avoid detection.]

[How's it going?] Miko asked. [See any animal-shaped clouds?]

[No,] I replied, [but I see a cloud that says, "Let me get back to work.",] I replied.

[Sheesh. Touchy,] Miko texted back.

After a few minutes, I received another text from Miko's cellular device. [Hey. It's Jack. Sorry about Miko. She's just trying to deal with her boredom, and was wondering what you were looking at.]

[No worries,] I replied, [I just need to concentrate on my work. I can see the Warship from here. Temporarily blocking this number.]

Once that was done, I flew into the warship, assuming Cybertronian forme at the same time as Starscream. It made me laugh/grimace/growl silently, how similar we were.

**In the **_**Nemesis**_** lab, Ratchet's POV**

"Shockwave, construction of the Omega Lock is in the final stages," Megatron's voice echoed over the intercom. Your presence is required."

Shockwave stood up, and ordered Knock Out, "Supervise our guest in my absence."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Knock Out grumbled as Shockwave exited. I knew my time was limited. The Synth-En was stabilized, and that was worrisome.

"I can't let them have the formula," I whispered as I laid a false trail to foil the Decepticons. "Not now, or ever." Having done so, I took a nearby sample of CNA, and dropped it in a nearby device, causing a small, smoky blaze.

"Oh, for the love o—what is going on, here?" Knock Out asked/complained.

"The formula's instability," I replied. "It must have triggered a chain reaction.

"Guards," Knock Out called, "get in here and extinguish this blaze before it scorches the lab, and my finish!"

_(If anyone else gives a frag about his 'precious' finish, I'll be surprised,)_ I thought as I transformed into vehicle mode, and drove out of the room, evading every Decepticon I came near. "Not bad for an old 'Bot," I said to myself. I spoke too soon. Megatron appeared in front of me, and stomped on my front end, stopping me. "If you terminate me," I groaned through the pain, "you'll never get your hands on the formula."

Megatron removed his foot, and chuckled as I reverted to Cybertronian mode. "Not to worry, doctor," he replied. "My scientists are breaking down your little 'false trail' as we speak."

I was dragged back to the lab. "Studies indicate that the Synth-En formula is now stable and complete," Shockwave said.

"Well, well. Looks like our 'guest' is no longer welcome," Knock Out said rather smugly.

"Indeed," Megatron agreed. He turned to me, and said, "I made a promise to someone, a promise I intend to keep."

I was thrown into the landing bay of the Decepticon Warship, and quickly realized I wasn't alone. "How are you feeling, Autobot?" an unfamiliar figure asked. "Feeling vulnerable?" he asked further. I looked up, and saw a Cybertronian with a rather wild appearance, not tamed at all by the Predacon insignia. "Good," he replied, not bothering to wait for an answer, "then you know how my brothers felt before you so brutally massacred them."

He grabbed my face, and threw me outside, onto the landing ramp itself, and transformed into the dragonlike forme I had heard so much about. He threw me into the air with a clawed paw, and then grabbed me in his jaws, shaking me like I was a mere toy to him. He threw me to the ground, and stomped on my chestplate. "Finish it," I muttered. "It's not like I can live with myself, knowing what I've done. Don't stop with just me, though." I added. "Avenge your way up to the leader of the Decepticons.

Confused, Predaking shifted back to his more humanoid forme, allowing me to my feet. "What do you mean?" he asked

"You … really don't know anything, do you?" I asked back. "When we came to the lab, we didn't even know it was there. We followed the signal with the desperate hope that it would lead to an Energon supply."

"The coincidence hardly seems plausible," Predaking snarled back.

"That's because it wasn't a coincidence," a voice spoke from nearby. Predaking and I looked around, but saw no one. "Good," the figure chuckled. "You don't see me. But that's irrelevant. Predaking, you proclaim that you're an intelligent being correct?" Predaking was silent, but nodded. "Step back for a moment, and analyze the situation," the voice ordered. "The leader of the Decepticons fears you, and all who are like you. He fears the possibility that your strength would become too great for him to control. _That's_ why he ordered the extermination of your brothers, Predacon," he finished. Predaking roared in rage, and ran into the landing bay, entering the Warship's hallways. The figure who had spoken appeared before my eyes. It was Ninjusk. "We'd better disable the cloaking shield for the Warship," he said.

**Flying, Optimus' POV**

"Optimus, do you read?" Ratchet's voice said over the radio.

"Loud and clear, old friend," I replied happily. "I assume our friend has assisted you in your attempts to escape Decepticon captivity?"

"Ninjusk and I are still aboard the Warship," Ratchet replied, "but we managed to disable the cloaking shield. Optimus, you must hurry. Megatron is planning to Cyberform Earth."

"I'm on my way, old friend," I replied. "Autobots, lock onto those coordinates."

**Aboard the **_**Silent Shadow**_**, No one's POV**

"I've locked onto their coordinates," Raf replied. Having selected their weapons, the Autobots prepared to walk through the Groundbridge and storm the Warship.

"They can't leave without saying goodbye, right?" Miko asked, almost on the verge of tears.

"No time for that, and no need," Ninjusk replied. "We'll be back."

_**Well, now that the story is done, I can give credit to those who helped me. Yes, I know that the story was originally rated Fiction M, but I decided that considering its content, it's a Fiction T. Now that that's out of the way, time to give credit where it's due. Many thanks to DreamMaster08x for dealing with my ranting, and helping me when I needed it. Many thanks to you, old friend. Now, for anyone who asks, the Silent Shadow, Ninjusk's ship, is one-eighth the size of the Nemesis. I made it the Autobot Base, instead of Hanger "E". Now, for the tormenting questions. The Autobots have marched off to storm the Warship. Will they be successful? How will Starscream react if/when he meets his brother? Does Soundwave have a sense of humor? I'll do what I can to upload the final chapters of this fine fanfic within two to three weeks. It's gonna be hard, but I'll do what I can.**_

_**[To Wild Colors: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Not exactly a sneak-peek chapter, is it? 8) ]**_


	11. A Broken Heart

**As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, that same law/rule-ish thing must apply to this fanfic. I know. I'm sad, too. I'll give you a moment to cry it out.**

**:(Cries for 10 seconds): :[blows nose]:**

**Okay. Now that that's out of the way, it's time to start the penultimate chapter. I do not own the Transformers Prime episode "Deadlock", but I certainly own Ninjusk Noir and his relationships. I will be changing POV's frequently. Just thought I would warn you, faithful reader. If you are a new reader, I welcome you.**

**Also, in this chapter, I'm assuming Jack and Miko are both a few months away from 17 years old. A minor detail, but one that will have added relevance in the next chapter.**

"Normal speech"

"_Whispered speech/bad ... communications"_

**Chapter 11: ****A Broken Heart May Still Spark Victory, The End Of A War Brought About**

**Aboard the _Nemesis_, in space, Optimus Prime's POV**

As soon as we gained access to the Decepticon Warship, Megatron drove the vessel into space, most likely in the hopes that when he defeated us, he could Cyberform Earth from a location conveniently out of the range of human weaponry. "The Omega Lock's control station is located on the lower deck," Ratchet said on my earpiece, the words being transmitted to all other Autobots, including Ninjusk. "I am making my way there, now."

"Copy, old friend. We will rendezvous at the objective point. Arcee, lead Stealth Team to secure the Omega Lock. Ultra Magnus, you and your Wreckers, storm the bridge," I ordered. "We must prevent the Decepticons from firing the Omega Lock. "Ninjusk, guard Ratchet."

"With all respect, Optimus," Ratchet replied, "I can take care of myself. Besides, Ninjusk, being as stealthy as he is, would be of be better use on the battlefield. He's not a bodyguard. No offense, Ninjusk."

"None taken, Ratchet," the assassin replied. "Bodyguarding never interested me."

As I flew toward the Omega Lock, I noticed a familiar figure standing on the Omega Lock: Megatron, wielding the Dark Star Saber. He slashed downward, and an energy wave came from the blade, severing a portion of my flight circuits. I managed to grab ahold of the Omega Lock so I could ensure I would not fly into the Earth's atmosphere.

**Bridge of the _Nemesis_, Soundwave's POV**

At the beginning of the fight against the Autobots, Lord Megatron had ordered me to guard the bridge of the Nemesis. He trusted me greatly, and I had no reason to break my benevolent master's trust. A few kliks ago, 3 Autobots, the "mighty" Wreckers, had the impudence to attempt and take the bridge while I was on duty. I diverted them to a less sensitive area of the ship, where they would be of no concern to the continuance of the mission.

**Arcee's POV**

"Ultra Magnus to Stealth Team, we will be delayed. Soundwave pulled one of his relocation tricks.

"Ninjusk, what is your location?"

"I am en route to the Wreckers' location," he replied.

"Understood," I said. I sighed. "Please don't die on me, Ninjusk," I whispered.

"Death will come someday, Arcee," my favorite Bot sighed in return, "but until then," I heard a shot fired in the background, "I'll just keep shooting Cons in the face. That work?"

Smokescreen nodded, and then stiffened like he had an idea. "There's something I need to do," he said abruptly, running through a wall with his Phase Shifter.

"Don't stop him, Arcee," Ninjusk said. "I'm tracking his movement. He's making his way to a special room within the Nemesis, one that holds a weapon that could be the key to striking down the leader of the Decepticons."

**Ultra Magnus' POV**

"Stay on mission, soldier," I ordered. "This is no time for your vendetta."

"I'm only going to listen to you because Optimus Prime has ordered me to do so," his voice came from above me. "Otherwise, I would just ignore you." The Cons surrounding us looked up, trying to locate the voice's owner, and got cut down by a dark figure wielding a bluish-green blade. He turned to his left, slashed a Con's right arm off, and jumped into the air as the Cons began to return fire. Taking advantage of the confusion, I shot a Con's helm clean off his shoulders, while Bulkhead and Wheeljack attacked with their own Tox-En weapons. While I did not approve of Ninjusk's choice of weaponry, I knew that the weapons had their merits, and chose to tolerate them.

"Boy, am I glad to see you, Softie," Wheeljack remarked.

"Nice to see you, Choppy," Ninjusk replied, sheathing his blade. "I saw Megatron heading in the direction of the Omega Lock, holding the Dark Star Saber. I'm gonna head there as soon as I can find Stealth Team. My talents are of best use in their mission."

"Then assist Stealth Team in their endeavor," I ordered.

Ninjusk nodded. "I will strike Starscream down if he gets in the way of the mission."

"Understood," I replied. Ninjusk's change of Spark may have been startling, but at least he was thinking more like a soldier.

**Aboard the _Silent Shadow_, Miko's POV**

"Stealth Team, I am en route to your position," Ninjusk's modulated voice spoke.

"Understood," Arcee said. "We could use your help. Resistance is thicker than anticipated."

"Don't kill them all," Ninjusk said. "Let me get a piece of the action. I sound just like Wheeljack, don't I?"

"Yes, you did," I replied. "Oh. No kissing on the job," I couldn't help adding. I couldn't resist the opportunity.

"Follow your own advice, Miko, and then you can give me orders," Ninjusk retorted, causing a blush to spring to my cheeks. How did he know about my habit of sneaking kisses with Jack while we're on mission? It's not MY fault he's a good kisser as well as good looking.

"Are you smirking?" I asked, trying to ignore Jack's snickering in the background, "Cuz it sounds like you are."

"Wouldn't you like to know," Ninjusk chuckled. I knew he was smirking.

"Raf, can you Bridge me to the Decepticon Bridge?" Jack asked, getting an idea.

"I guess, considering the ship's cloak is down, but there's no way you can do it alone."

"That's why I'm going in with _heavy_ backup, shall we say?" Jack replied, looking over at me. I knew what he was talking about.

**The _Nemesis'_ Bridge, Soundwave's POV**

Soon after the Wreckers were dispatched, a Groundbridge appeared behind me. It couldn't be the Autobots. They were all aboard the Nemesis, and none had the ability to summon a Groundbridge like I could, at least not to my knowledge. I was superior to those mere protoforms. I was mildly surprised when I saw a human spring from the Groundbridge: the human known as Jackson Darby. The human youngling was known for being insolent and impetuous, but not to the point of insanity.

"Surprise," was the only word the human spoke. Barely a nano-klik later had the human femme known as Miko Nakadi, from the Earth nation of Japan, run through the portal, dressed in the Apex Armor, stolen from the inept Starscream. She body-slammed one guard and two-hand slammed another guard into the floor.

"How do you like me now?" she quipped. The remaining guard began to shoot her in the back, but all he earned was a swift and brutal termination at the hands of the human. As she charged toward me, I projected a Groundbridge in front of my person, causing the female to halt in her tracks. I continued walking toward while using the Groundbridge as a shield. I decided to set the Groundbridge to deposit her on the moon orbiting this planet. If the fleshy organic perished there, it would cause me no grief.

**The _Nemesis'_ bridge, Jack's POV**

"Ninjusk, NOW!" Miko yelled. Ninjusk dropped from the ceiling, landing just behind Soundwave with a silence that was astounding. Before the purple/grey Decepticon could react, Ninjusk sliced through some of the cables in Soundwave's neck with an eerily purple knife. The Groundbridge dissipated, and I heard Soundwave fall to the ground, defeated. When I saw Ninjusk removing Soundwave's visor, I couldn't resist looking, and neither could Miko. Soundwave's face was grey, and had a slight sneer on it, as if he considered himself superior to his opponents. His eyes, I mean, optics, were shut. "Wow," Miko remarked. "Totally not what I was expecting."

"Well, what were you expecting?" Ninjusk asked as he smeared a purple gel, same as that on the blade, on the inside of the visor, and then replacing it.

"I don't know," Miko replied. "Maybe some blah! Gruesome facelike thing with wires coming out of it, or screws for ears, like Frankenstein's Monster."

"What was that stuff you smeared on Soundwave's visor?" I asked.

Ninjusk turned to me. "At least you can stay on mission, unlike this femme, who acts more like the Hulk."

**"Miko SMASH!"** Miko said in the background.

"Not helping," I muttered under my breath.

"It's an anesthetic," the assassin explained. "I injected it into his veins when I sliced some of his neck cables with my knife. He will remain in powerdown for a few hours. The anesthetic on the inside of his visor will ensure that he does not awaken when it would be inconvenient."

"And the sliced cables?"

"Temporary paralysis," he replied with a shrug. "The damage will soon be healed by the anesthetic's secondary effect, which is the healing of moderate damage."

"You're scary," Miko said, "a—and I mean that in a good way." I rarely heard her nervous, but then again, Ninjusk could make anyone nervous.

Ninjusk chuckled. "What's this? The mighty Miko Nakadi spooked by a mere Autobot assassin? Don't worry. That anesthetic is purely for use against Cybertronians. I perfected it during the war."

**The Omega Lock, No one's POV**

"Shockwave, commence Omega Lock firing sequence," Megatron ordered. The Decepticon warlord had disabled Optimus Prime's means of flight, and the Prime's favored gun was on its way to the surface of the planet below. Suddenly, the ship swerved to the side. "What?!" Megatron shouted.

**Bridge of the _Nemesis_, Jack's POV**

Okay, so I was wrong. Piloting the Nemesis was NOT like driving a big plane on an X-Box game. I wished Ninjusk was still there. He'd be able to fly this thing better than I could. "Dude, who taught you how to drive?" Miko asked.

"Well, why don't you try?" I shot back.

"Alright, then," Miko replied, gently nudging me aside. Her driving wasn't any better.

"Could you NOT rock the boat?" Ninjusk asked over the communications relay. "Don't make me come up there."

"Understood, sir," Miko said, stabilizing the ship. I never thought I'd see the day someone got Miko to say "sir". Not even Ultra Magnus could do that.

**Smokescreen's POV**

It only took a few kliks for me to find what I was looking for: the treasure room. "Hmm, that looks interesting," I said to myself as I looked at a webshooter that had been removed from that spider femme's arm, "but it's not what I'm looking for." Only a few steps later, I saw her. "I thought you'd still be here," I said as I removed the Star Saber from its containment pod. With the most powerful handheld weapon in my grasp, I ran toward the Omega Lock, passing Bumblebee and Arcee. "Special delivery. This way, right?" I quipped as I ran past them, and went through the wall with my Phase Shifter, scaring a few Cons in the process. "Optimus!" I yelled as I tried to throw the Star Saber in his direction, but because I had deactivated my Shifter shortly after nearing the Omega Lock, Shockwave was able to shoot me in the chestplate. It wasn't a fatal wound, but serious enough to knock me out for a time.

**The Omega Lock, Optimus Prime's POV**

I heard the shots as Smokescreen fell. Suddenly, I saw a dark figure darting from the shadows. He grabbed the Star Saber, and jumped down, throwing the Star Saber to me as he landed. "Catch, Optimus," he yelled. He landed in front of Megatron. "So, this is the legendary Ninjusk Noir, troubler of the peace." "You started the war, not me," Ninjusk retorted. "Well, are we gonna fight, or are we going to trade words?" he asked in traditional fighter's bravado. In reply, Megatron picked up his Dark Star Saber, and charged toward Ninjusk.

**The Omega Lock, Ninjusk's POV**

We charged toward each other. I knew my own sword had nothing on the Dark Saber, but if I could just land strikes at the right areas, I could disable the leader of the Decepticons. He seemed to know this, and blocked my first ten knives with the Dark Saber. "You're fast," Megatron admitted, "but it will take more than speed and knives to beat me." He slashed down at me, but I deflected it with my blade, the Silver Slash. "I wasn't champion gladiator of the Pits of Kaon for nothing."

"It'll take more than brute force to take ME down," I retorted. Megatron kicked me in the knee, and tried to shoot me, but I deflected the shot with my Silver Slash. I rolled out of the way, and jumped behind the warlord, plunging a poisoned knife in between his shoulder blades.

"Nice try," Megatron chuckled as he turned around, grabbed me by the neck, shattered my Silver Slash, and then stabbed me through the Spark with the Dark Saber, "but the Dark Energon that flows through my veins renders me immune to Tox-En."

I collapsed to my knees, coughing and gasping. "It … has happened," I said. "I have … fallen." I turned around, and dodged Megatron's strike. Noticing that Starscream was standing nearby, I jumped toward him with what strength I had.

**The Omega Lock, Arcee's POV**

"How is that possible? Starscream asked. "He should be dead." I didn't get it, either. I thought he was as good as dead when Megatron plunged the Dark Saber through Ninjusk's Spark.

"Starscream," Ninjusk shouted as he jumped up, "your time is done!" I watched, stunned, as he shoved the Dark Saber out of his Spark, grabbed it, and slashed Starscream in two from helm to heel strut, the cut sealing each half.

"It … is finished," Ninjusk said as he collapsed to his knees, dropping the Dark Saber. A Vehicon shoved Ninjusk off the edge of the platform, and the assassin fell onto Megatron, who tossed him toward the Energon pool contained by the mouth of the Omega Lock. Bumblebee tried to grab onto Ninjusk, but was tossed to the side by Megatron, who shot him in the chestplate three times. Bumblebee fell in the pool, sinking into its depths. Ninjusk fell off the side of the Omega Lock, plunging toward the planet below.

**No one's POV**

"No!" Optimus Prime yelled. Ninjusk had fallen, and Bumblebee was lost, as well. Megatron smirked at Optimus, and that's when Optimus attacked. He gave Megatron a devastating uppercut to the chin, and then added a left punch to the chestplate, finishing up with a two-handed overhead slam. Megatron was unable to defend himself against the angry blows of the last of the Primes. Knocking his opponent to the ground, Optimus walked slowly turning his left hand into a gun. Suddenly, Megatron grabbed his Dark Star Saber, and slashed outwards. An arc of energy flew up from the blade, throwing Optimus back. For a moment, it seemed as if the Prime had followed the dying Pseudo-Prime, but as Megatron walked toward the edge, he saw Optimus Prime, hanging on, with a small plume of smoke coming from his chestplate. "Time to join your scout and assassin in the Allspark," Megatron said as he raised his blade.

**Arcee's POV**

"Megatron!" a voice yelled. Megatron turned around, but what I saw next surprised me: Bumblebee, whom we had presumed perished in the Omega Lock, drove the Star Saber through Megatron's chestplate, through his Spark. "You took my voice," the scout said. "You took Ninjusk's life. You won't rob anything from anyone ever again." Megatron raised his hand holding the Dark Saber, trying to cut Bumblebee down, but he dropped the sword, which fell off the platform, clattering to the deck behind him. We all watched as the leader of the Decepticons collapsed to his knees, still trying to detach the Saber from his Spark, but his attempts were for naught. The glow faded from his optics, and then he fell backwards, glowing as he fell to the surface of Earth. We all looked at the Decepticon doctor, who was among the few Decepticons left.

"I surrender," Soundwave said, raising his servos. "My lord has fallen, and I am not fit to lead the Decepticons. Do with me as you wish."

"Rest assured, we do not put our prisoners to death or torture them," Optimus Prime assured him. He pressed down on his communicator. "Autobots, Megatron is no more."

**Bridge of the _Nemesis_, Ultra Magnus POV**

"Wreckers, a job well done," Optimus commended us.

"It wasn't us, sir," I told him. "The credit belongs to the humans."

**The Omega Lock, Arcee's POV**

While everyone was celebrating the recent victory, and the return of Bumblebee (voice included), I wasn't in the mood to celebrate. "Where's Ninjusk?" Miko asked.

I sighed. "Miko … I don't know how to tell you this, but … "

"Ninjusk is dead," Raf interrupted. "I just lost his signal. He's ... offline."

"Ninjusk … is dead?" I choked out. I collapsed to my knee joints, and began to weep. "Why? Why did he have to die?" I blurted out, feeling like my Spark was breaking in two. First Tailgate at the hands of Airachnid, then Cliffjumper at the hands of Starscream, and finally, my beloved Ninjusk at the hands of Megatron himself. _"May he ... enjoy ... an et-t-ternal rest in... the Allspark,"_ I whispered.

Suddenly, a communication signal came in, interrupting my sorrow. _"Please … if there's anyone out there … I need … immediate medical … ass-assistance."_ It was Ninjusk. _"I can't survive for much longer. Please … help me …"_

"I just picked up Ninjusk's signal from the dark side of the Moon. It's faint, but it's steady," Raf said from aboard the _Silent Shadow_.

"That's good news," Bumblebee yelled. "We can still save him."

"We can try," Ratchet said.

"Is that you, Bee?" Raf asked as we flew toward the Moon.

"Of course it's me," Bumblebee said. "Who'd you think it was? Miko?"

"I heard that," Miko said, standing at the bridge.

As we landed on the Moon, another transmission came in from Ninjusk. _"Has ... my message been ... received? Is there anyone out there?"_

"Your message has been received, Ninjusk" Optimus replied. "I'm en route to your location," he added as Ultra Magnus, at the bridge, opened a Bridge to Ninjusk's location.

"You may need this, sir," Ultra Magnus said, giving Optimus the Forge.

"Thank you," Optimus replied as he ran through the Bridge.

**Jack's POV**

It took only 10 minutes for Optimus to bring Ninjusk back, but it felt like hours. As I watched within the protection of a space suit, two shapes walked through a Groundbridge to land on the Omega Lock's platform: Optimus Prime, and a figure dressed in a cloak. "Ninjusk," Arcee yelled, embracing the cloaked figure.

"It's good to see you again, beloved," Ninjusk replied, bringing her in for a quick kiss.

"Is that really you, Ninjusk?" Miko asked.

"Oh, it's me," Ninjusk assured her, but so you can be sure…" He swept the cape aside, revealing his new forme. His arms were covered in scars, but they looked strong. His frame was more similar to the form Optimus once had, but even with his change in shape, he could assume his original transformations, as he demonstrated.

"How are you alive?" Miko asked, voicing the question we all had.

"Optimus Prime revived me from the edge of death with the Forge of Solus Prime," Ninjusk replied in a strained voice. Arcee had her arms wrapped around him. "Now, I believe it's time to give Cybertron the same blessing," he added after asking Arcee to slacken her grip a little.

"I most certainly agree," Ratchet said with a smile on his face.

"Ultra Magnus," Optimus said, "set a course for Cybertron."

**Orbiting Cybertron, Ninjusk's POV**

On the way, we had decided that the best way to revive Cybertron was to fire the Omega Beam into the heart of Primus himself, for that was the only way to make Cybertron capable of supporting life. "Commander, we're directly over the Well of Allsparks," Wheeljack said. Ratchet fired the Omega Lock. We watched as the brilliant bluish-white beam flew through the air of Cybertron, flying straight into the planet's core. The Beam fired for a little over 1 klik before Primus began to glow. The bluish light spread to the surface of Cybertron, and continued to flow until the planet was a glittering blue orb.

"Ahhh, such luster," Knock Out commented. He noticed us all looking over at him. "What? I'm joining the winning team," he replied. Miko punched the officer in the face, knocking him out. "He was talking too much," she explained.

**Aboard the _Silent Shadow_, Earth, Ninjusk's POV**

"Though Cybertron is once again capable of supporting life, we have much work to do in rebuilding," Optimus said. "We will certainly miss our home away from home, and the family we've made here," he added, looking over at the humans.

"If the Cons are still out there, won't Earth be on their radar?" Raf asked, worried.

"Raf, if you need me, or any of the other Autobots, we're just a Spacebridge away," Bumblebee assured him.

"Besides, this planet is in good hands with you, Jack, and Miko continuing to serve Unit:E, in a semi-official capacity, of course.," Agent Fowler added.

"Whoa! We're agents?!" Miko asked, excitedly.

"Consultants," Jack's mother, June Darby corrected, "until you are of age."

"I trust there's nothing against rusty old Autobots serving as consultants," Ratchet replied.

"Ratchet?" Arcee asked in surprise. "Of all Bots—"

"Yep, yep, yep," Ratchet interrupted, waving her question aside. "I know where I'm needed."

"And so do I," I added, walking out of the shadows. "I've been in war for too long, and dare I say it, this planet has become a home to me."

"If you're staying," Arcee, my new Sparkmate said, taking ahold of my left servo, "I'll stay, also." Goodbyes were said, and tears were shed. I would miss my comrades.

"Don't stay away too long," I said.

"Don't worry, Sof—Uh, I mean, Ninjusk," Wheeljack said. "I'll visit when I can." He smiled over at Arcee, who was talking to Jack and Miko. "You sure know how to pick 'em, buddy," the grey Wrecker smiled. "Don't make me hunt you down if she gets hurt, now," he added.

"Don't worry," I assured him, chuckling from his remark, "I won't hurt her." Chuckling, Wheeljack walked through the Spacebridge leading to Cybertron. Bumblebee walked through, followed by Bulkhead and Ultra Magnus. Before he left, Optimus Prime turned to me.

"You have done well, Ninjusk," he said. "You've recovered from the hurts of the past, and have used them to help end our war. May Primus himself bless you with a long life, great health, and unending peace."

"And may Primus bless you, as well," I replied.

"He already has," Optimus Prime said. "Cybertron's revival is a blessing to me." With that, he walked through the Space Bridge, which Raf shut down after Optimus landed on Cybertron.

"So," Jack asked, "What happens now?"

I flew the _Silent Shadow_ to the army base where the second Autobot base had been. "Well, that depends on what the reviews say."

**_Dread: Hahahahahahahahahaha! Bet you didn't expect that little part at the end! Hahahahaha! Sorry. Had a bit of a Deadpool moment, there._**

**_Miko: You sure did. Thanks for updating the chapter. It was WAY too short last time._**

**_Dread: Still, it's in the hands of the viewers, now. They, and they alone, can decide whether or not I write a sequel to this fanfic. Don't worry, there's still one more chapter to come after this one, but you'll have to wait to see it. As for the sequel, you, the reader, have a chance to decide: Will there be a sequel, or will there not be a sequel?_**

**_Jack: Don't forget the acknowledgements._**

**_Dread: Understood. Thank you, Starscream's Biglover, and Wild Colors, for your encouragement and advice, including the idea to give the fight scenes more detail. Also, a great thanks to DreamMaster08x for his continued support. Couldn't do it without you, bro. I am in your debt. Read and review, dear reader. Please, no flames._**

**_Miko: (Puts on the Apex Armor and crosses her arms with a glare on her face) Flamers have to deal with me. Got that?_**


	12. An Assassin's Ultimatum

**_Dread: The time has come to close this story. I have no choice but to do so._**

**_Miko: Better make it good, bro._**

**_Dread: Oh, I assure you, Miko. It will be good. It is what the fans have been waiting _**

**_for: Ninjusk Noir's life story!_**

**_Raf: Mind if I do the disclaimer?_**

**_Dread: Take it away, Raphael._**

**_Raf: Darkest Nightmare's Dread does not own Transformers Prime Beast Hunters in any way, shape, or forme._**

**_Miko: Let's get going, already!_**

**_Dread: (Piece of duct tape appears and covers Miko's mouth)_**

**Chapter 12: An Assassin's Ultimatum**

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Since this is a time of peace, I've decided to follow my beloved wife's advice and write my personal history. For some, it will be an inspiration; for others, a warning. For whatever purpose do you wish to read about me, I encourage you to read on.

I am Ninjusk Noir, an Autobot assassin from the Great War for Cybertron, and this is my story.

I was born in the Autobot year 1069 CB, long before the humans began to exist. My carrier was a strong red femme named Solena Skyflyer, and my sire, a thin, agile greyish mech named Sam Noir, from whom I have my last name. As the Sparkling of two Autobots living near a dangerous area of Cybertron, I was raised to always be ready for attack. By the age of 6, I knew 7 different ways to kill or disable an intruder without raising a sound. "That's the secret to success, my son," my sire told me, "being able to take down your opponent before they can sense you coming." My twin, Starscream, failed to display aptitude in the art of stealth, and he often got into disagreements with our parents. At the age of 17, Starscream left the house to fight in the war, an action that grieved my parents deeply. Despite his constant rebellious attitude, they loved him like good parents should.

I left the house one solar revolution later, hoping to find a general who could help me continue learning the ways of stealth. There was only one who would teach me: Prowl. He was respected as a versatile warrior, able to handle both open combat and stealth missions with equal ease, but he specialized in stealth missions. When we first met, he said, "You have a lot of potential, being the son of Sam Noir, but potential will get you nowhere in this war, young Ninjusk. Only skill and training will." I told him that was why I came to train: to learn how to be a Cyber Ninja. Now, Prowl himself wasn't a hard teacher, but his training exercises were to most students. I thrived on the training. Hacking a computer terminal was new to me, but it was a skill I quickly learned. Lessons involving attacking an opponent by stealthily making your way toward them were my favorite. Even the more difficult exercises were mere Sparkling's play for me. Eventually, Prowl began assigning me to work with deployed Autobot groups as an expert hacker/spy. No job proved more than I could handle. After returning from a successful spying mission in Kaon, Prowl challenged me to a fight, all tactics and weapons allowed. The battle went on for hours, neither one of us gaining an advantage over the other. Prowl slipped up when he tried to throw an electrified throwing star at me. I grabbed it, and threw it back at him, but making it swerve to the left, hitting my teacher with an electric charge strong enough to knock most opponents off their feet. "I have nothing left to teach you," Prowl said as I helped him to his feet. "You … have surpassed me." It had taken me all of 4 solar revolutions to do so.

Prowl offered me the opportunity to teach others alongside him, but I refused. I couldn't stand being stuck in a building. I preferred being on the battlefield, where I could blend in with the confusion and strike down key enemies without being detected. The years seemed to blur past me as battle after battle passed by. Before I knew it, I was 30 years old in human reckoning, then barely a moment later (or so it seemed), my years were in the thousands. All of that time was spent fighting the Decepticons. I saw many allies rise to meet me, only to see them fall at the hands of the enemy. After a few thousand solar revolutions, I was offered an opportunity by Ultra "Pain-In-The-Aft" Magnus to sharpen my skills in the Elite Guard. I jumped at the opportunity. My father had always taught me to find ways to better myself, even if I thought I couldn't become any better. I followed that advice, and accepted the invitation. Ultra Magnus and I never saw optic-to-optic, but there was never hostility between the two of us. It was tough, training among such tough soldiers, but to me, it was home, complete with father figures, annoying younger brother figures, tough older brother figures, and even a few sister figures, here and there. Among them was Elita-1.

Originally, Elita-1 attempted to attract my affections, but after a while, decided she wished to be friends with me, an invitation I accepted. She was one of the most trustworthy Bots I ever met. I could tell her any of my secrets, including my homesickness, and she wouldn't say a word to anyone unless I wished for others to know. I missed her greatly when she was assumed offline. Soon after, I learned that not only had she not gone offline, she had been mutated, and had gone on the side of the Decepticons. I learned this shortly after becoming an official member of the Elite Guard. Unlike some of the others, I didn't care about her mutation, only about her betrayal, which stung me, deeply. For a period of time, I plunged into a period of depression, not willing to let others come close to me. After a while, a femme managed to sneak into my life: Airachnid. She seemed friendly enough, but now I realize that her friendship was just a front for an almost primal lust. She tried to seduce me many times over the course of our relationship, but I refused. Somewhere along the line, she began growing darker in spirit, more cruel and sadistic. She started taking Scraplets and tormenting them. After I confronted her about it, she repented of her ways for a while, but eventually, I learned she had been keeping secrets from me. She had been seeing someone, a Decepticon by the name Knock Out. When I confronted her about what she was doing, she told me I hadn't been giving her proper affection, and I assume that you, the reader, know what I mean. She tried to make me an offer: If I joined the Decepticons, as some of my ancestors had done, she would drop Knock Out and stay with me for the rest of her life. Knowing she was lying, I refused. She immediately attacked me, trying to tear out my Spark. She would've succeeded, had my former teacher Prowl not been able to distract her while I got free. Her last words to me before she ran were along the lines of, "Oh, what are you going to do now, little cry-Sparkling? Mourn for me the way you did for Blackarachnia after she defected?"

Those words struck a chord within my Spark, and I replied, "No, I will not mourn your treachery. I was a fool to think you could love me for who I actually was." I didn't see Airachnid until we fought on Earth, but that's for later. After Airachnid's betrayal, I became bitter toward others, that irritation/depression being magnified by the death of my teacher Prowl, but that ill feeling soon receded. It had to if I was to open up to others. I found a femme who understood my trouble: Elita-1's twin sister, Elita. The two were very similar in frame, but Elita had a sunnier personality than her twin, and had a pink color scheme (think G1 and TFA Arcee) to differentiate herself from the purple and gold color scheme of Elita-1 (TFA). I was off duty when we met at a small bar. She was drunk on high-grade Energon, while I had stayed away from even the low-grade stuff as a personal habit. I didn't trust it as far as I could throw Trypticon, and I trust that slag even less now. Anyways, since Elita wasn't sober enough to go to her house, or even sober enough to tell me _where_ her house was, I took her to my dwelling, and placed her in the guest room for the night. The next day, when Elita awoke, she initially assumed that I had kidnapped her, but after I told her what had happened the previous night, she apologized for jumping to conclusions. She explained that she had recently broken up with her ex, Starscream (A mother-fragger, she called him), and thought I had kidnapped her to take her back to him after she had tried to drink away her sorrows. I assured her that I wasn't, and revealed that I was Starscream's younger brother. She didn't believe me initially, saying I was nothing like Screamy. My half-brother, Cliffjumper, came over for a visit, and tried to console Elita over her loss, but she still seemed bitter about the betrayal. I later learned that my elder brother had cheated on her with my former best friend, Blackarachnia. After I learned of what had happened between Elita and Starscream, I told her that I had been through similar pain. We talked to each other about our pain, and through doing so, helped each other heal. Eventually, I knew that I absolutely had to make Elita my Sparkmate. She had given me so much help in healing from Airachnid's betrayal, and I felt that I had to give her something back. She had confessed her love for me many times, and on one cold, silent night, I decided to tell her how much I truly loved her. Yes. I proposed to her, and thank Primus she accepted.

The wedding was not attended by many, but my closest friends were there, including Wheeljack, Ultra Magnus, Bulkhead, and one of the greatest leaders in the War: Optimus Prime himself. I was honored to have him present on my special day. I tried to tell him I wasn't worthy of such an honor, but he told me that he was the one honored by being allowed to witness my marriage. After that day, I felt as if my life could not get any better. I was glad to find myself to be wrong in that assumption. My Sparkmate bore me a femme Sparkling named Elita-2. She had most of her mother's looks, but had my eyes and frame. Unfortunately, we lost her to a Decepticon raid that was trying to bomb a nearby Autobot army garrison, but the bombs fell ahead, on our house. Elita-2 was killed immediately. She suffered no pain. Elita and I survived to strike at the Decepticon bombing party, which also came under fire from the Wreckers. Six human centuries later, Genos was born. It was almost as if the spirit of Eita-2 was within him. He shared the same fascination for stealthy combat, and had the same sunny personality. Not as sunny as his carrier, but still sunnier than I often was. Every day, I made sure my Sparkmate and son knew I loved them. I knew that the day was coming when either I would become one with the Allspark, or they would beat me there. As it turned out, they beat me to the Allspark, hastened there by my treacherous brother, Starscream. I nearly slew him that fateful day, but he got away. I went to Optimus Prime, and told him some of the details about my past. I was feeling fatalistic at the time, and I thought/hoped that I would soon join my family in the Allspark. Optimus, who was like a father to me after my own parents had died, asked me to stay on Cybertron, but I was beyond listening. I abandoned Cybertron, believing it to be doomed, and left behind various weapons for the Wreckers to use. That large rifle Ultra Magnus is fond of using, that used to be one of mine, but I left it behind, not wishing to completely deprive Cybertron with my absence.

For innumerable cycles and megacycles, I wandered the galaxy aboard my ship, the _Silent Shadow._ I would make occasional contact with other Autobots who had fled Cybertron, but they all fell at the hands of the Decepticons. For the most part, I kept to myself, occasionally helping fellow Autobots scrounge some Energon from a mine, or rescue a comrade, or something. Many asked me to join them, but I refused, used to travelling on my own.

Eventually, in the human year 2013, I detected Autobot and Decepticon frequencies on a small planet called Earth. I found that my old friend Optimus Prime had survived, along with Ultra "Still-A-Pain-In-The-Aft" Magnus. Of the Wreckers, only Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Magnus remained. Initially, I did not get along with Team Prime, but as the days went by, I found myself falling for the Autobot Arcee. I tried to stop myself, but I would've had better luck stopping the _Nemesis_ with my bare hands. Right now, she's smirking at me as I write this. Yes, Arcee. I fell for you, and fell hard. During that time, I saw the downfall of Airachnid and Starscream. I was almost killed slaying Starscream, but the war between the Autobots and Decepticons had ended for good.

It's been about 15 human years since the Decepticons were defeated, and Arcee became my Sparkmate. In those years, Jack and Miko married, and a son was born to them: Jackson Darby II. Arcee gave birth to a daughter about 2 solar revolutions after she became my Sparkmate. We named our daughter Tesla because of her electric abilities. At barely a solar revolution old, she could throw electric bolts powerful enough to deactivate most military equipment. For some odd reason, she was born human-sized. However, Tesla is not to be underestimated. She can enlarge her form to be as large as me, and even if she's human-sized, she's a formidable fighter. Despite having two Autobots as parents, Tesla looks exactly like a human, but with Cybertronian optics. Very unusual, but I treasure uniqueness. I'm glad my daughter is unique. She is a very good friend to Jack Darby II, and I have caught her throwing a few love-filled glances his way, usually looking away with a blush on her face if he looked over at here. Right now, I don't believe the boy knows, but soon enough, he'll figure it out. Raf, being the smart kid he is, has gone on to creating many new designs for army planes, including bombers that can transform like Cybertronians. At the moment, the Cyber-Bombers are still being drawn, but once they're formed, Arcee and I may be able to walk this planet as undisguised heroes. I don't mind maintaining my disguise as a motorcycle alongside Arcee. Miko's choice of music, however, gets a bit irritating, but you learn to live with it. At the moment, the only significant conflict is the normal conflict between this planet's nations. Otherwise, all is at peace with the Universe, and Primus willing, it will stay that way for many joors. That is my life at this point in time. Primus willing, there will be many more solar revolutions for me to live. Remember, reader, no one knows his or her days…

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**_Dread: Phew! That was quite a chapter to write. Of course, I can't forget the acknowledgements. Many thanks to Wild Colors, Starscream's Biglover, and NoNameX for your encouragement Miko873, I trust this chapter is to your satisfaction? I would be a forgetful fool to not acknowledge DreamMater08x's involvement. He's been with me step by step since this fanfic began. Thank you, old friend._**

**_Miko: [Rips duct tape from mouth] Ow! You better write a sequel, bro._**

**_Jack I: It's not good to keep the fans hanging, man._**

**_Dread: I know, but first, I need to know if they want a sequel. It'll be useless if they don't want one._**

**_Raf: He does have a point there._**

**_Dread: I'd like at least 6 "yes"es for a sequel. Review or PM your desire to see a sequel._**


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